September is known as the season of abundance and reckoning. We harvest the fruits of our labour, prepare them for their final placement and make long lists of things to do. This is much the same pattern we follow when preparing a number of our writing pieces for submission to periodicals and contests.

Apologies for the lateness of this month's newsletter. The office was closed for a few days over the Labour Day weekend for staff holidays.

Sandra

Writing Tip: - Be curious. Curiosity about your world can open many writing paths that you never considered before.

Markets:
By-Line Magazine seeks entries to the following contests. Details: http://www.bylinemag.com/contests.asp

LIGHT VERSE-Deadline September 15, 2005. Here's your chance to write greeting card verse, limericks, whimsical short poems, etc. Maximum 14 lines. Entry fee $3. Prizes: $40, $20, $10.

NOSTALGIA-Deadline September 20, 2005. Looking for a remembrance of the way things were. Maximum 1,200 words. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $40, $25, $15.

POEM IN FORMAL STRUCTURE-Deadline September 30, 2005. Write a sestina, sonnet, villanelle or any other form that requires a specific structure. Entry fee $3. Prizes: $40, $25, $15.

FLASH FICTION-Deadline October 5, 2005. A short story or vignette under 1,000 words, which nevertheless feels complete. These often depend on atmosphere and technique more than plot. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $50, $30, $15.

Painted Bride Quarterly accepts up to 5 poems, fiction up to 5000 words, and essays and reviews up to 3000 words, in any genre. Details: http://pbq.rutgers.edu/issue72/index.php?about= /main.htm

Backwards City Review is always looking for original, compelling, risk-taking new work in the fields of poetry, prose, and comics. Deadline: November 15, 2005. Details: http://www.backwardscity.net

New England Review considers short stories, short-shorts, novellas, and self-contained extracts from novels; long and short poems. Details: http://www.middlebury.edu/~nereview/

Pebble Lake Review is interested in art, poetry and fiction. Details: http://www.pebblelakereview.com

River Walk Journal seeks fiction, non-fiction and poetry submissions. Details: http://up.to/riverwalkjournal

Storyteller is a general fiction magazine that also publishes genre stories. Stories should have some Canadian connection. Details: http://www.storytellermagazine.com

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

1. List your creative goals for the rest of the year. Use the list to plan what you will do with your writing time. Feel good about your achievements to date and be excited about your future plans.

2. If you are in a creative drought relax and don't give it another thought. It is in this clearing of your mind that new ideas will flood in.

Industry News:
DISTRIBUTORS ARE TRIMMING THEIR LISTS. The reality of the 80/20 rule is being applied by book distributors. Greenleaf Distribution and Biblio are the first to make cuts. Distributors can only get your book into the bookstores. It is up to the author/publisher to promote the book to get the (buying) customers into the stores to pull the book through the system. The problem is that many authors/publishers, upon securing a distributor, figure the stores are "covered" and they concentrate on other parts of their business. Reports confirm that Biblio has cut their vendor list by 17% so far and they are aiming for a 45% cut. Biblio will also require marketing plans from authors. Greenleaf took a more humane approach; they sent letters out to vendors giving them to the end of the year to bring up their sales numbers.

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 want to make money from my writing. I have heard that writing romantic fiction pays well. They appear simple to write. Although I don't enjoy reading them I feel sure I could write them. Should I try? - Terri Baynes

A. There is nothing wrong with hoping to make money from your writing. However to set out to write in a genre you don't enjoy reading is unlikely to bring you success. Both editors and readers would quickly sense your lack of conviction. It would be better for you to concentrate your efforts in another area.

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 continues to celebrate a series of autumn special events following a busy summer of book happenings. For people who live on Vancouver Island please watch your local media for details.

Congratulations to author of The Red Flared Skirt, Margaret Takaki for making the P.B. Cruise Booksellers Best Sellers list in fiction for two weeks in a row.

Author Shirley Skidmore will discuss her book The Coffin ship Legacy on CHLY 101.7FM radio on September 21st at 11:00 - 12:00. Following her interview she is embarking on a cross Canada tour with a number of speaking engagements booked in Ottawa culminating with a book signing at Books on Beechwood.

Don't miss an opportunity to see Peg Pyner, author of Lurking Back - East Sooke No News together with her daughter Barbara Warman on Shaw TV. They were also showcased in the August issue of Senior Living.

Look for Mel McIlveen, author of Falconer's Last Voyage on October 5th. He will be discussing the Nanaimo connection to his book on CHLY 101.7 FM from 11:00 - 12:00.

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

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