Alternative health

Angels

Astral projection/OBE

Astrology

Chakras

Cryptozoology

Energy work

Ghost hunting

Intuition

Kabbalah/Qabalah

Life between lives

Magic/magick

Meditation

Paganism

Personal haunting stories

Psychic abilities

Psychic development

Reiki

Reincarnation

Shamanism

Spirit Guides

Spiritual Enlightenment

Tarot books

Tarot card decks

UFOs

Wicca

Witchcraft

Yoga

For a complete list of topics, you should visit their Browse by Category page. They do explicitly note that they are not interested in poetry books, children’s books, spiritual or new age fiction, cookbooks, or channeled books. Their new releases list is particularly helpful.

It is important to note that while they have been around for a long time, they haven’t had nearly as positive a track record when it comes to imprints. Midnight Ink, one of their imprints, was closed in 2019. One of their other former imprints had a number of complaints filed against it, in terms of their contract. It has since been sold off.

I did not find any direct complaints about Llewellyn.

They have major distribution, generally good covers, and a long track record of success in their area of focus.

Llewellyn accepts complete manuscripts and proposals. They accept submissions via email and post.

Their complete guidelines are here. Please follow them carefully. Note that you must keep scrolling down for the Tarot Deck submission guidelines, and the Almanacs, Calendars, and Datebooks guidelines.

Capsule Stories is published four times a year, in the spring, summer, fall, and winter. Each attractively designed print edition contains work from around 40 contributors: approximately 10 authors of prose and 30 poets. They’ve been publishing consistently since 2019.

Although they accept submissions year-round, right now through November 30th they’re seeking submissions specifically for their spring 2022 edition, themed “Into the Light.” This issue will focus on “growth and new possibilities after a long, dark winter.” They’re especially interested in sunny, happy writing that takes place in spring.

Poets may submit up to five poems. Authors of short stories and essays may submit one piece, 3,000 words or fewer. Authors should send only one submission at a time.

Capsule Stories is also looking for essays, 3,000 words or fewer, to publish on their blog. Right now, they’re seeking submissions on the topic “your reading life.” They’re especially interested in posts that talk about reading the right book at the right time: “Tell us about that book that came into your life at the exact right moment in time and how it spoke to you.” Although they don’t pay for blog posts, they do promote the writing they publish. They accept blog posts on a rolling basis.

Capsule Stories accepts submissions online, not via email or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors withdraw work published elsewhere. They do not accept previously published work, including writing published on personal websites or social media.

Capsule Stories only accepts submissions that adhere to the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Capsule Stories, please visit their website here.

Bio: Ella Peary is the pen name for an author, editor, creative writing mentor, and submission consultant. Over the past five years, she’s written hundreds of articles for Authors Publish, and she’s also served as a copywriter and copy editor for a wide range of organizations and individuals. She is the author of The Quick Start Guide to Flash Fiction. She occasionally teaches a course on flash fiction. You can contact her at ellapeary@gmail.com.

Creating a podcast is one more tool authors can utilize to get their name out there, find an audience, and promote their work. Although there are many writing and fiction podcasts available already, you will still offer listeners a unique perspective — especially when you find your niche in the market.

Writing-related podcasts take on multiple forms, from giving writing advice and interviewing authors to sharing snippets of your work. There’s plenty of room for creativity, all you need to start with is a concept.

Finding your niche

The most important part of starting your podcast is determining what your subject matter is going to be about and identify who your audience is. What are you trying to achieve with your podcast? Are you trying to reach aspiring authors or network with other writers in the field? Once you have a clear picture of your goal and audience, then you can decide what format would work best to accomplish that mission, and if you’re going to record solo or with a cohost.

With so much of podcasting hinging on personality, it’s important for you to be authentic on you podcast. The information you’re sharing may be valuable, but the thing that will set apart your podcast and keep people tuning in is going to be you as the host.

How to create a podcast

There’s a variety of options out there to make starting a podcast fairly affordable. Audio equipment will always elevate your show, but if investing in a premier podcasting set-up is out of the budget, recording audio on a smart phone in an enclosed space is still a viable option. When it comes to editing the content, any editing software from Audacity to iMovie or GarageBand will give you the ability to trim down your podcast or add features like an intro and outro. After you have finished preparing the content, you will need to upload your file to a podcast hosting site. Each site is different, but usually there is a monthly fee for a set amount of upload capacity, and the site helps syndicate your podcast so it will appear on most podcast streaming services. Do some research and see what site works best for you.

Once you start posting, it’s important to remember that consistency is key. Setting a schedule and sticking to it helps you build a reliable fanbase and makes it easier for you to work it into your routine. In a Podcasting 101 Workshop I attended, Science Fiction Author James S. Aaron quoted that the average podcast only lasts around five episodes, which proves consistency with posting is crucial to ensure the longevity of your podcast and engagement.

Benefits to podcasting

By podcasting, you’re able to market yourself and your work across multiple platforms, and it gives you a chance to meet potential readers, share your expertise with the writing community, and learn a new skillset. Podcasting is a fun medium that gives you a new way to talk about the writing industry or any subject that you care about. Even if the podcast itself isn’t writing related, highlighting your work or mentioning your bio on a podcast helps you publicize and allows people to discover more of your work.

While there is money itself in podcasting, it’s not necessarily a get-quick-rich scheme. Depending on your hosting site, you may have the possibility of including affiliate links or you could lease out airtime in your podcast for advertisements. If money is a motivator for you, setting up a Patreon or a “buy me a coffee” page for your podcast is one method to bring in more funding.

Writing podcasts are multi-purpose. Beyond promoting your brand and your work, you are helping your listeners learn something new or think about a subject in a different way.