Thought for the Month

"To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts." Henry David Thoreau

Hello Writers and Readers,

We know that there are many aspects of life which in our opinion are not sought. This has been a month of such aspects ranging from a cable outage of three days resulting in no internet/e-mail service to missed deadlines and beyond. I have learned over the years that life flows to a schedule that I don't have a copy of and can't really influence. It is abit like reaching a block in your writing. Learning to walk away for awhile; to redirect our energies into other tasks often brings much better results... but I think it will be awhile before I am able to put my cable outage into that kind of perspective ...smile ... Sandra

Markets:

The Poetry Business seeks 20 - 24 pages of poetry for their current competition. Winners may be invited to publish a book of poetry with this prestigious UK company. Submission deadline: October 31. Submission guidelines: http://www.poetrybusiness.co.uk/competition.aspx

Ragged Raven Poetry seeks poems for its current competition. This another opportunity for poets to have their work known in the UK and Europe. Submission deadline: October 31. Submission guidelines: http://www.raggedraven.co.uk/competition.htm

Interzone seeks science fiction and fantasy submissions. Submission guidelines: http://www.ttapress.com/IZ.html

Transmission Magazine is looking for short stories for their next issue on the theme of "Time" for publication in January 2007. Submission guidelines: http://www.transmissionhq.org/

The London Magazine, a prestigious UK arts magazine seeks submissions for spring 2007. Submission guidelines: http://www.thelondonmagazine.net/

Amarillo Bay seeks quality fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Submission guidelines: http://www.amarillobay.org/welcome.htm

Cadenza seeks modern short stories, poetry, articles and interviews with writers. Submission guidelines: http://www.cadenza-magazine.co.uk

The Stinging Fly is now accepting submissions for their next magazine issue. Submission guidelines: http://www.stingingfly.org/submissions.html

Quarterly West is seeking submissions for its novella contest. Submission guidelines: http://webdelsol.com/Quarterly_West/

Writing Tip:

Strive for a selection of print interviews when promoting your writing. They are concrete and remain in the mind of the reader much longer.

October discount of 25% to all newsletter subscribers

Manuscript Evaluation -Treat yourself to a manuscript evaluation from a publishing professional. This could include advice on a short story before submitting it to publishers or an evaluation of your novel or non-fiction book. Ask for details by e-mailing info@windshift.bc.ca. Please put 'manuscript critique' in the subject line.

Publishing News:

Stephen King's Lisey's Story (Scribner) which is coming out October 24, will not doubt hit the NY Times bestseller list. If you ever wondered how he remains a best seller it has something to do with the books he writes but also a lot to do with review and promotional copies of a book. In the spring, the publisher sent out some 7,000 galleys [proof copies] to booksellers and the press.

Giller Prize - For an award that tends to favour well-established and high-profile writers, most of those being published in the 2006 fall season were conspicuously absent from the long list. Those who did make that cut (Wayne Johnston, Kenneth J. Harvey, Douglas Coupland, David Adams Richards) were pushed aside in favour of Gaétan Soucy (The Immaculate Conception), Rawi Hage (De Niro's Game), Vincent Lam (Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures), Pascale Quiviger (The Perfect Circle) and Carol Windley (Home Schooling). All of the short list are nominated for either their first or second book. Only Vincent Lam is published by a major house (Doubleday), while two of the titles are recent English translations of French novels. Is this an encouragement to the small, but-excellent, publishing houses Cormorant and House of Anansi who are are known to take chances on lesser-known writers?

Home News:

Word on the Street, Vancouver - The weather was wonderfully autumnal and the crowds came out in force. Our tent was an ongoing smorgasbord of Windshift Press authors.

Frankfurt Book Fair, Germany. - For the second time since its inception five years ago Windshift Press titles are being represented in Frankfurt. While the competiton is of Goliath prportions, we can but hope for some foreign rights interest.

Windshift Press will be five years old on October 21st. Happy Birthday WP~!!

New books from Windshift Press this month include From Man to Man, a translation from the original Yiddish prose of Moishe Nadir, translated by Harvey Fink and Gay 101 - A Straight Look at Gay Life, a series of interviews with gay people on a wide range of subjects by Steven Coull and Sandra Janssen

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 please use our contact form with unsubscribe in the text.