November 26, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! This week we are having a ‘Best of’ issue of Authors Publish. We are also publishing it on Tuesday (as you may have noticed), so that it does not encroach on your holiday. We are taking time off this week to visit our family, and to take a much needed break. We are…

November 21, 2013

Inspirational Quote of The Week

Prompt: Inheritance

If you are writing a novel, you can give the main character a break and use him or her in this writing prompt. If you don’t have any characters at your immediate disposal, create one for this prompt. In this prompt, the main character receives an inheritance, not from a parent but from a wealthy…

Shimmer: Open to Submissions

Last Updated December 2017 Shimmer is an online journal that specializes in publishing speculative fiction. They largely publish contemporary fantasy short stories, although they are also open to science fiction and horror. They favor stories that are burdened by sadness, but have space for the occasional humorous ones as well. Shimmer is one of the…

Why You Should Submit to Literary Journals

When I was first starting out as a writer, I had no desire to submit to literary journals. I did not really understand what function they served. I also didn’t know how many there were out there; I just thought they were a small niche marketplace. I had a few publications which were mostly in…

November 19, 2013

Juked: Open To Submissions

Juked is an established journal that was founded in 1999. They publish poems, short stories, narrative non-fiction, and essays. They are a print journal that also publishes work electronically. Unlike most print journals that put selected content online, Juked publishes original work electronically. They are always looking for different material to put in their magazine…

November 14, 2013

Andrews McMeel Publishing: Open to Submissions

UPDATED OCTOBER 2020 Andrews McMeel is a large publishing house that publishes up to 150 books a year. They are one of the largest publishers that will read proposals by authors that have not been previously published and do not have an agent. Andrews McMeel Publishing is a leading publisher of general nonfiction trade books,…

Inspirational Quote of the Week

November 12, 2013

Account Magazine: Open To Submissions

The Account is a relatively new online journal that publishes poetry, creative non-fiction, flash fiction, and short stories. When I look at new journals, ones that only have an issue or two out, I look for various indicators of quality that are different from those of more established journals. First I look at the website…

November 8, 2013

Writing Prompt: Castaway

  Your main character is stuck on a small island with only three items. You get to decide what three items. They could be deeply practical items like a water filter and a lighter or they can be purely random, unpractical items like lipstick and hairspray. The main character must be alone. There are no…

Algonquin Books: Open to Proposals

Algonquin Books is a publisher of literary fiction and non-fiction. They are an established and respected press. They are not interested in genre books or self-help non-fiction. They just started a line of young adult books as well, but if you are submitting a young adult book, make it clear on your submissions envelope. Algonquin…

November 7, 2013

Adams Media: Accepting Book Manuscript Proposals

Permanently Closed: Adams Media in late 2016 was purchased by Simon & Schuster. They are no longer accepting direct submissions Adams Media is open to proposal submissions. They will consider any proposal, even ones by first time authors and authors who do not have an agent. They publish a wide variety of books including cookbooks,…

The Top 5 Literary Journals Re-Opening to Submissions This Month.

Sometimes you want to submit to a literary journal, but they’re not open to submissions. Here’s your chance to submit to the top 5 journals that opened up this month. 1. Salmagundi Salmagundi is a quarterly print journal that publishes poems and fiction. Salmagundi has been published since 1969 by Skidmore college. They have a…

Quote of the Week

Writing Prompt: Bedroom

When I am writing a novel I am constantly trying to get better acquainted with the characters that populate it. Often I will do writing prompts that help me get to know my characters better. These writing exercises never make it into the manuscript, but they help improve the overall quality of the manuscript. Choose…