Recommendation for Writers and Editors

Thought some of you here might be interested in this really great podcast about the editing process The Editing Podcast – useful for writers and editors alike.

 

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Short short list

I’ve been trying to submit more regularly to the Writing Magazine‘s monthly competitions and have made it onto the shortlist again. Big up to Michael Callaghan and Dominic Bell whose names are on almost every list. And of course to the winner and runner-up whose work will appear here very soon, or now in the April edition of The Writing Magazine, which comes with a competition supplement and an advert for Beech Editorial Services (plug plug).

 

Another Day, Another 30 Dollars

The Writing Quarter has once again chosen a story of mine as their monthly winner. The exchange rate between here and Australia means that I get £1 less than last time, but enough to cover the competitions I am busy entering today.

The story Pot Luck is one I wrote a few years ago, though the theme has become even more pertinent (and personal) over time, to the point that I almost consigned it to the bin, but didn’t, as it is always useful (if painful) to raise awareness.

I sometimes think that I spend an inordinate amount of time entering writing competitions and submitting to magazines – tweaking the text so that it is within word limits; making sure the headers and footers abide by the rules; removing or adding my name – but the reason I carry on is because I want people to read my work, and if I don’t send it out, then it won’t be read.

I checked the proofs yesterday of one of my stories that will appear in the next edition of Pushing out the Boat, and Postbox Magazine, with another wee tale, is coming soon. So, it’s the last day of February and that’s three ‘yeses’ since the new year. I’m happy with that but I need to carry on with the submissions if I want to carry on in the same vein.

 

Postbox Magazine

Delighted to be in the first issue of Postbox Magazine (to be published in March). Two other G2 members in there too – Alan Macfarlane and Charlie Gracie. Can’t wait to see it.

Workshop Places

I am running a workshop in the West End of Glasgow on the 17th of Feb, with some of my wonderful G2 colleagues running one the following weekend. More details and to book tickets click here.

As Yet Untitled

If you want to cheer up your Sunday, or at least have a flash read, then one of my stories has been published here. https://flashfictionmagazine.com/blog/2019/01/27/as-yet-untitled/

If you have the time, it would be great if you could add a comment on the Flash Fiction Magazine page.

You might also like to download their free ebook of previously published flash.

Or, if you are a writer, why not pen a few lines and send them on.

Onwards and Onwards

Happy New Year.

Some stats from 2018:

Didn’t manage to complete my GoodReads Challenge, only finishing 18 out of the 20 books I had challenged myself to read. Unfortunately you can’t count all the half-read ones, although I think there will be a flourish soon as I get some of them finished. Others will languish forever on the shelf with bookmarks at the point where I had had enough. I am going to read more of what I want to read this year, and not follow my book group’s recommendations quite so religiously. Book groups are great at getting you to expand your horizons, but I have hit the buffers too often recently and need to read my own choices for a while. (Though that doesn’t mean I will stop going for all the chat).

I listed 139 possible competitions/submission slots on my Excel Goals Worksheet and submitted on 41 occasions, winning or being published 5 times, so 12% of what I submitted got somewhere – not bad. I just need to get the submission level a bit higher along with the hit rate.

UPDATE: Just found another acceptance in my Junk folder – more info will follow.

I earned a grand total of ( I can hear the taxman getting excited) £229.36 (including 7p in Amazon royalties), less £84 costs bringing a profit of £145.36 for the calendar year, or appox. £2.80 a week (oh, how we writers live). I did get paid in Australian and US Dollars this year, which, added to the usual Euros and Sterling, makes me a truly international (if poor) author.

On the plus side, I didn’t spend any overnights in hospital this year – which means my kids didn’t (YIPEE), though I am still on Carer’s Leave without an end in sight to that.

I also set up my new business Beech Editorial Services, and have been doing a bit of editing and proofreading, although waiting to reap the rewards there.

My Writers’ Group, the G2 Writers, goes from strength to strength, with another published author to our name – Charlie Gracie, and we are just about to welcome two new writers into the fold, which is very exciting.

 

And so 2019.

I might not be an optimist, but some stubbornness keeps me going. I am trying different things with my writing and maybe one day you’ll see my name in lights (if not there is always Amazon). Keep reading, keep writing, keep hoping, and have a great 2019.