» Emily Harstone

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.

Writing Prompt: Avoidance

A lot of writers come back to the same themes again and again, from father issues to aliens, most writers seem to have their private preoccupation. The problem with this is that you want to have work that sounds different, that explores new themes and interesting topics. For a long time every piece of writing…

Issue Nine Writing Prompt

How to Find A Writing Group

Many famous writers from Virgina Woolf to C.S. Lewis to Ernest Hemingway were part of a writing group. Such groups are often cited by famous authors as one of the most important things a writer can have. Writing groups are largely informal gatherings that involve reading each other’s work and providing feedback. If you want…

Issue Nine Publishing Guides

The Threepenny Review: Closing Soon

The Threepenny Review is one of the most well renowned and respected literary journals in America. They publish authors from all over the world, and many famous writers, both poets and fiction writers have been published in The Threepenny Review. The Threepenny review also pays very well. They pay $400 per short story and $200…

Issue Nine Literary Journals

Postcard Shorts: Open for Submissions

Postcard Shorts is an online journal with an interesting premise. Whatever piece of fiction you send them should be able to fit on a postcard. In other words it must be around 250 words in length. Postcard Shorts publishes all genres of flash fiction on their website. The website is easy to read and navigate,…

Issue Nine Literary Journals

Just Opened for Publication: A-Minor Magazine

A-Minor Magazine has just re-opened to submissions this week. They are an online journal that has developed a good reputation. They publish poetry and fiction as well as art. A-Minor Magazine has been around for three years. A-Minor Magazine publishes quarterly and is associated with A-Minor Press which publishes full length work. It is good…

Issue Eight Literary Journals

Accepting Submissions: Word Riot

Word Riot is one of the most respected online journals of all time. They are also well established, they were first founded in 2002. Word Riot is known to publish edgy work by emerging poets and writers. They publish flash fiction up to 1,000 words in length, and narrative fiction, short stories, novel excerpts, and…

Issue Eight Literary Journals

Writing Prompt: Tell it Slant

“Tell all the Truth but tell it slant–” is a famous quote by Emily Dickinson. It is a principle many writers have adopted both in fiction and non fiction. In this exercise the point is to tell a story you know well. It does not have to be your story though, it can be the…

Issue Eight Writing Prompt

Writing Prompt: Erasure

This writing prompt is a little different. Instead of requiring you to write words with a pen, this writing exercise is all about crossing things out with a sharpie. This week the writing exercise is to create an erasure. An erasure is a poem that starts out with a piece of existing text, but instead…

Issue Seven Writing Prompt

3 Steps to Take Before Publishing Your Manuscript

When you read a book you know when it is finished, because you have reached the final sentence on the last page of the last chapter. When you are writing a book it is hardly that straightforward. When you have finished writing the last page of the final chapter, you will probably need to go…

Issue Seven Publishing Guides

Ilk Journal Review

Ilk is an online poetry journal that has been around for over a year now. They just reopened to submissions. They publish work that is creative and experimental but still has a narrative arc. Ilk is easy to read and well organized, they have published a lot of established and emerging authors. They are new…

Issue Seven Literary Journals

Review: Moon City Review

Moon City Review recently reopened to submissions. They publish short stories, non-fiction, and poetry. They are a print journal, well bound, and with an excellent taste in artwork. They are based in the Ozarks and some of what they publish concerns the region, but the bulk of the fiction and poetry they publish is unrelated…

Issue Seven Literary Journals

Should You Self Publish in Print?

Most people that self publish these days focus on e-books, but there there are still a lot of people that prefer holding a real book in their hands instead of tablet. Also it is nice to see your name in print. If you have already decided to self publish but are not yet certain if…

Issue Six Publishing Guides

Writing Prompt: Fable

A fable is a fictional story that features animals, plants, mythical creatures, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to an interpretation of a moral lesson or point. Fables are all around us. They were told to us as kids and we repeat them as adults. Fables have…

Issue Six Writing Prompt

Farrago: A Brand New Journal

Farrago is a brand new online journal that plans to publish twelve issues a year. Farrago will publish essays, short stories, and poems. The first issue will be published in June. If you want to be considered for this first issue you must submit before the end of May. Farrago’s well designed website and striking…

Issue Six Literary Journals

Cold Mountain Review: Closing to Submissions Soon

Cold Mountain Review is a twice yearly print publication that is interested in essays, narrative non fiction, short fiction, and poetry. Cold Mountain Review has been around for 35 years. They are only open for submissions until the 30th of May, after that they will not consider submissions until August. Cold Mountain Review is published…