JournalStone is a horror publisher that bills themselves as “your link to artistic talent”. They also run a number of magazines, websites and presses, including Dark Discoveries and Horror World.  You can get a good feel for what they publish here.

They have a slick, easy-to-navigate, well-designed website that focuses on promoting books. It is a little hard to find out anything about the history of the company, their editorial board, or distribution on the website itself, but that is not that unusual with larger genre publishers who have a consistent audience of readers they focus on.

They are open to submissions once a year, generally from the 1st of September through the 31st of October, which is the case this year. Work submitted during this period will also be considered for the imprint Trepidatio Publishing.

According to their website they are seeking “Horror in all its forms—from literary to weird, Gothic to psychological, and (almost) everything in between. We’re looking for amazing stories from amazing authors, regardless of race, gender, religion—if you’ve got something good, we want it.”

Do not submit YA, Romance, erotica, or religious fiction because they do not publish in these genres.

They ask that you not submit multiple submissions or PDFs.

Their current turnaround time is between six and eight months, and they have detailed submission guidelines you should read and follow carefully, here.

Submissions should be made via email and formatted the Shunn way.

Minimum word count for novels and fiction collections is 50,000, and anything over  120,000 words will be a hard sell. Minimum word count for novellas is 20,000 words.

To learn more, go here.

Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2021 Guide to Manuscript Publishers.

Each edition of Woodcrest features around 35 contributors, and includes work in unique categories such as satire, music, and drama. They also publish reviews of films, musical performances, and television shows.

They are only currently open to creative nonfiction and art.  Submitting authors can expect a response within three to eight months.

Although Woodcrest doesn’t give guidelines for the preferred length of submissions, they do provide some stylistic pointers. For poetry, they’re looking for both lyrical and narrative work that shows attention to language, imagery, and voice. For fiction, they want skillfully developed characters and stories with clear narrative movement. For nonfiction, they’re interested in reading lyric essays, hybrid memoirs, and writing dealing with unexpected topics. Woodcrest also offers a submission category for writing that doesn’t fit within standard genre boundaries.

Woodcrest accepts submissions online, not via email or by post. They only accept submissions that adhere to the guidelines they’ve posted online, so please read these guidelines in full before submitting. Authors should submit only once per reading period.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Woodcrest, 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.

If you have read Shakespeare or Dickens, you may have come across the metaphor; ‘as dead as a doornail.’ By and large, door nails are neither alive nor dead, unless you are caught in a mystical realm of elves and gnomes. But you have to agree, the metaphor evokes ideas in the reader’s mind that a simple ‘she was dead,’ could never accomplish.

Charles Dickens used the phrase to describe the death of old Marley, in the book, ‘A Christmas Carol,’ with dexterity. You will find numerous such turns of phrases in many of the classics.

Inarguably, metaphors are figures of speech that are an essential tool that can add a certain amount of vitality to your writing.

What is a figure of speech?

Figures of speech are phrases that are used to emphasize or clarify an idea or concept, thereby giving the writing added color and vibrancy. Popular forms are similes and metaphors. Of course, idioms can do no harm in your writer’s toolkit.

Metaphors are figures of speech that are not true literally. They are used to explain an event or an idea by comparing it to an object or situation.

Metaphors are tricky devils and cannot be played around with. But, they are very much a part of a writer’s arsenal, and correct use can add an extra zing to the piece. Maggie Stiefvater shows impeccable skills in the use of the metaphor in ‘lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception’ with these lines.

“Delia was an overbearing cake with condescending frosting, and frankly, I was on a diet.” This aptly describes Delia’s character, comparing her to an overbearing cake. The line, ‘frankly, I was on a diet’, is a masterstroke, sure to draw a few chuckles from the reader.

Why add a figure of speech?

So, why do you need to add a figure of speech, when ‘Delia was overbearing and condescending’ would do just as well?

Well, you have to admit, there is something condescending about the frosting on the cake; it practically lords it over on the humble sponge below! The phrase ‘icing on the cake,’ follows much the same premise. It sounds a lot more evocative than a plain ‘to top it all.’

A talented writer can turn a mundane piece of writing into evocative prose, harnessing their skills in the use of figurative language and symbolism. But like the icing on the cake, figurative speech has to be used with discretion. Indiscriminate use of metaphors and similes can make the cake unpalatable.

Forcefully putting together words in a semblance of a metaphor is like beating a dead horse. It’s not going to bring life to your writing. It’s better to let it smoothly weave its way through the prose, painting a vivid picture for readers. A picture they will remember after the book is closed.

Bio: Mina Vora’s affair with the written word began at the age of ten. Writing just happened. She is a voracious reader, writer, amateur designer and a mother. Fiction is her forte. The world between the pages of a novel is much more fascinating than the world outside her window; she feels.

The following four scholarships are open to writers who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC). The final scholarship opportunity is also open to LGBTQ+, neurodiverse writers, and writers with disabilities. All the information below is as detailed on the scholarship websites.

Gotham Writers’ BIPOC Scholarship 2021

The Gotham Creative Writing Scholarship is open to people of color who have an interest in creative writing—any type of writing, any level of experience. All they ask is the desire to write creatively. Three scholarships will be offered every year.

Each scholarship includes:

1. One 6-week course of the writer’s choosing

2. Two 10-week courses of the writer’s choosing

3. Two intensives of the writer’s choosing

4. One 12-hour mentorship, after the writer has completed at least one 10-week course.

Acceptance is open to all people of color. At least one spot will be rewarded to a Black applicant.

Once accepted, Gotham will do a consultation to help guide the writer with their initial course selection.

There is no time limit on when all the courses must be completed.

Applications will be accepted from September 1, 2021 – November 15, 2021.

For further details, visit their web page here.

Whale Rock Workshops’ 2021 Diversity Scholarship

Whale Rock Workshops is working in conjunction with Greatest Stories Never Told to offer BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ students full tuition coverage to participate in one of their programs. Applicants do not have to be published or agented, but should have some writing or related experience as well as a project in progress. Students must have access to a laptop and Zoom technology AND must be able to participate in the full duration of each program. Where they do not have access to a laptop, they should indicate it in their application. The scholarships are for the full immersion programs: The Master Skills Workshop and Mentorship Program.

Candidates must be new to Whale Rock Workshops and must submit the following:

1. A writing experience statement (what you write and why, and what your writing journey has been like to date.)

2. A 1000-word writing sample of a manuscript geared towards middle grade or young adult readers

3. A copy of your 2019 or 2020 taxes (Students must make under $100,000 a year to be eligible for this program.)

For details and submission, visit their website here.

The Writing Barn Scholarship 2021

The Writing Barn has a small but budding scholarship program for their programming.

They offer specific Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity scholarships (both full and partial) for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse writers, and writers with disabilities.

The scholarships are awarded on the following criteria:

1. Seriousness of purpose: A brief questionnaire asks about the time and effort you devote to your craft.

2. Talent: A writing sample speaks to your talent.

3. Financial need: As a follow-up to the initial application, they may be in contact asking for details about your financial need.

Scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis and those being awarded scholarships will be notified as soon as possible.

If you have any other questions, please email: info@thewritingbarn.com.

If you would like to be considered for a scholarship, please fill out the application on this page.

In addition, the We Need Diverse Books Mentorship Program is open to applications from October 1, 2021, through 11:59 pm EST on October 31, 2021. They are offering 16 mentorships split among the following categories: Picture Book Text (PB), Middle Grade (MG), Young Adult (YA); and Illustration (IL). To learn more go here.

Bio: NmaHassan Muhammad is a children’s book author from Nigeria. His poems, stories, and articles have appeared in Weekly Trust, Fireflies, Pyramid, Jewel Corper, Kahalari Review, ANA Review and more. A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Association of Nigerian Authors, he writes from Minna.