Articles by Emily Harstone

Emily Harstone is the pen name of a published writer. Her work has been published in ten countries, four continents, by over fifty different journals. She is a professional submissions adviser and editor. If she owned a dog it would be named Wystan.

Self Promotion For Introverts

  “Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don’t want to make eye contact while doing it.”  ― John Green As an introvert, a writer, and a very reluctant self-promoter, this quote has always struck me as being particularly profound. Not just because…
Issue Two Hundred Ninety Three Special Feature

10 Literary Journals that Publish Longer Fiction

Most literary journals are only interested in publishing short stories that are up to 3,000 words or so in length. So it can be harder for someone who wrote a longer short story to place it in a good home, unless they are publishing a collection of short stories. The following literary journals are all…
Special Issue

Polis Books: Now Accepting Book Queries

Updated April 28th, 2024: They went under quickly and all that was really shared was a twitter post here, with the sreenshot below (from the founding editor) Polis Books is an independent publisher of fiction and nonfiction, founded in 2013. Their focus is on publishing new voices. They are a technologically driven company. They publish…
Horror Issue Two Hundred Ninety One Manuscript Publishers Mystery Non Fiction Offers Advances Science Fiction Speculative Fiction Young Adult

Why Writers Need To Be Readers

“You have to read widely, constantly refining (and redefining) your own work as you do so. It’s hard for me to believe that people who read very little (or not at all in some cases) should presume to write and expect people to like what they have written, but I know it’s true. If I…
Issue Two Hundred Ninety One Special Feature

42 Literary Journals that Publish Genre Writing

Most literary journals are interested in literary work, by which they mean, not genre work. The definition of genre is a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter. However, in the context of writing, genre can refer to poetry, prose or nonfiction in terms…
Special Issue

ThunderStone Books: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

Update March 8th, 2023: Website not working. Consider defunct. ThunderStone Books’ motto is global education for young minds. They focus on publishing children’s books with an educational aspect. The attention is particularly on books exploring a new language/culture in a fictional setting. Their area of primary focus is Mandarin Chinese (language, culture, setting and/or mythology)….
Children's Books Issue Two Hundred Ninety Manuscript Publishers

The Most Common Mistake Writers Make When First Submitting to Publishers

There is one mistake that most authors make when submitting their work to literary journals and magazines for the first time. It is a mistake I made when I first started submitting work. It is a mistake that most of the serious authors I know made. What is that mistake? Is it a terrible cover…
Issue Two Hundred Ninety Special Feature

The 10 Major Publishing Trends of 2018

I am starting off this article with a disclaimer. This article is not going to tell you what publishing trends are up and coming. I don’t know whether books about cats in Egypt are going to be the new board book trend or not. That isn’t my area of expertise, and it is not where…
Special Issue

Red Deer Press: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

Updated July 2022: They specifically encourage submissions of Canadian authors. They don’t officially prohibit submissions from non Canadians, but we’ve removed them from listings because of this emphasis/focus. Red Deer Press is a small press based out of Canada. They focus on publishing children’s books. They publish books for a whole range of ages starting…
Children's Books Issue Two Hundred Eighty Nine Young Adult

Paper Darts: Now Seeking Submissions

Paper Darts is an online and print platform for flashes–fiction and nonfiction–that push boundaries, challenge beliefs, and showcase underrepresented perspectives. They pair unexpected flashes from unheard voices with custom artwork, and sometimes dabble like artistic outlaws in deviant endeavors like pop-up shops, art museums, readings, short story collections, vinyl records, and other such obsessions. You…
Creative Non Fiction Fiction Issue Two Hundred Eighty Nine Literary Journals

Black Spot Books: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

Updated March 22cd, 2019 – They are currently closed to submissions and that part of the site is currently password protected. We will keep tabs on the site and see if/when they re-open to direct submissions. Black Spot Books just celebrated its one-year anniversary. They are a new speculative fiction publisher that considers work in…
Fantasy Issue Two Hundred Eighty Eight Manuscript Publishers Speculative Fiction

Belle Ombre: Now Accepting Submissions

Belle Ombre is a UK-based literary journal that publishes a wide variety of writing. They publish fiction, poetry, and memoir, all rather standard, as well as portraits of established artists/authors, scientific and academic writing, travel writing, and journalism. Belle Ombre was founded in 2017, so they are still relatively new. They are an online literary…
Creative Non Fiction Fiction Issue Two Hundred Eighty Eight Literary Journals Poetry

Seven Publishers That Accept Memoir Submissions (No Agent Required)

Memoir publishers that don’t require an agent to submit are few and far between. However, there are still options out there.  Some are old and respected, others are new and still figuring things out. Not all the publishers on this list are currently open to submissions, but most are. City Lights Books City Lights Books…
Special Issue

Watershed Books: Now Seeking Young Adult Books

Watershed Books is an imprint of Pelican Book Group. Watershed publishes Christian fiction aimed at readers between the ages of 14 and 19. They want the books to appeal to older readers as well. It is a good idea to browse their catalog to see what they have previously published. This will also give you…
Issue Two Hundred Eighty Seven

8 Wonderful New Literary Journals

The following is a list of 8 new literary journals. All of these journals have been around for less than six months. In my experience, there are many reasons to seek publication in these journals. When a literary journal is new, the editors tend to be a lot more passionate. I have gotten handwritten thank…
Special Issue

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