» A Guest Author

How to Write a Compelling Short Story

Written By Stephanie Norman Have you ever wondered what makes people so impressed by short stories? There is something magical about the ability of an author to capture so much wisdom in so few words. The sentences are magnetic. The reader may spend less than an hour with the story, but the effect will last…

Issue One Hundred Eighty Three Special Feature

4 Ways to Fund Your Self Published Novel

By Elizabeth Wangare Publishing should be the next step after writing your book, but is it? Many manuscripts have found their abode underneath beds and in drawers due to different constraints. Chief of these is lack of funds; whether actual or imaginary. Imaginary because some publishers have basic publishing option for about $78; even with…

Issue One Hundred Eighty Nine Special Feature

Writing Is My Job.

Written by Jen Jones Every writer, at some point in their career, has heard the words, “Writing isn’t a real job.” Only another writer can truly understand the frustration of hearing those words and being made to feel as if your dream is only a waste of time. It can be even worse if someone…

Issue One Hundred Seventy Seven Special Feature

3 Free Writing Residencies

Written By Tilly Horton “Every kind of creative work demands solitude, and being alone, constructively alone, is a prerequisite for every phase of the creative process.” ~ Barbara Powell Stepping out of our daily grind from time to time can help to refresh perspective and reinvigorate creativity, and residencies can be a great way to do…

Issue One Hundred Seventy Five Special Feature

How Walking Helped Me Become A Better Writer

Written By Julie Guirgis Modern studies have shown walking may be one of the most valuable means of achieving states of literary and philosophical enlightenment. Many writers have discovered a deep, intuitive connection between walking, thinking, and writing. When we walk, the heart pumps faster, circulating more blood and oxygen to all the organs, including…

Issue One Hundred Seventy Nine Special Feature

3 Essential Self-Publishing Skills Every Writer Should Develop

Written by Benjamin Cheah Successful self-published writers combine the skill sets of a writer and a publisher. The latter is often overlooked. This article focuses on three essential publishing skills self-published writers need to develop – before they publish their stories. Even if you’re not planning on self-publishing, having a solid grasp of these skills…

Issue One Hundred Seventy Four Special Feature

Five Reasons to Attend a Writers’ Conference

By Loretta Bolger Wish I had barely arrived at my first writers’ conference when I learned my most valuable lesson: it had taken me too long to attend one. If your inner skeptic has kept you away, you aren’t alone. You are, however, missing out on some of the best knowledge, motivation, and fun a…

Issue One Hundred Seventy Two Special Feature

Four Prestigious Fee Free contests

Written By S. Kalekar Here are four prestigious free-to-enter writing competitions. They cover literary fiction, arts writing, cultural diversity, and science fiction/fantasy. Note that three of the contests require already published books and one is only interested in unpublished work. PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction: This is one of America’s foremost awards for literary fiction, and…

Issue One Hundred Seventy One Special Feature

Three Anthologies Seeking Submissions: Science Fiction, Circus, and Superheros

Written by S. Kalekar The following three print anthologies are all paying markets and they are all seeking submissions on very different topics. Meerkat Press is accepting submissions for Behind the Mask, a superhero anthology with a twist; they are looking for ordinary, day-to-day issues faced by superheroes – growing up, relationships, growing old, career…

Issue One Hundred Seventy Special Feature

The Magic of Writing Groups

By Keith Gillison The first time I attended a writing group I was terrified. I’d never shared my writing before and there I was, reading out the first chapter of my novel to a room full of writers. It was the best decision I ever made. Writing groups have given me so much that I…

Issue One Hundred Sixty One Special Feature

Why Every Writer Should Belong to a Book Club

Written By Ruth O’Neil I had an epiphany the other day. Maybe it won’t be one for you, but here it is: every writer should be part of a book club. Yup. Sounds simple, but it’s true. What caused this epiphany, you may wonder? The ladies in my book club. We were discussing the past…

Issue One Hundred Fifty Eight Special Feature

5 Free & Cheap Editing Options for Your Manuscript

Written Anne Hogue-Boucher Being a writer sure is easy! It’s just a matter of working up a first draft and publishing it as-is without any rewrites or editing, right? No? If you’re a writer who self-publishes, or keeps getting rejected from publishing houses because your manuscript still needs work, then you understand the importance of…

Issue One Hundred Fifty Seven Special Feature

Asimov’s Science Fiction: Always Accepting Unpublished Fiction

Written by Eleanor Matama Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine is one of the better-paying markets there is out there, for science fiction content. This science fiction magazine predominantly favors character-oriented short stories and poetry. Asimov’s Science Fiction is very flexible as to what constitutes a short story. You can submit a short story between 1000-20,000 words…

Always open to submissions Fiction Genre Issue One Hundred Fifty One Literary Journals Paying Market Poetry

How #PitMad Works: Instantly Pitch Book Publishers Via Twitter

Written By Rebecca Ann Smith #PitMad is a quarterly Twitter pitch party coordinated by writer and social media guru Brenda Drake. There was an event on 17 March 2016 and I decided to give it a try. There are several Twitter pitching events out there and they all have slightly different rules and entry requirements….

Issue One Hundred Fifty Two Special Feature

The Top 10 Lessons I’ve Learned From Authors in Movies

Written By Erica Secor Everything I ever needed to know about being an author I’ve learned from authors in movies. May these nuggets of wisdom guide you along your path to authorship: LESSON #10 – THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001) What They Said: Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) contemplates his…

Issue One Hundred Forty Nine Special Feature

Articles by A Guest Author