They now publish fiction and nonfiction in a large variety of genres. A good way to get a feel for what they publish is to browse their catalog here.

They only accept unsolicited adult fiction in the romance genre. You can read their romance submission guidelines here.

They are interested in nonfiction submissions in the following categories: memoir, history, college reference and study aids, entertainment, general self-help/psychology, business, parenting and special needs parenting, health, beauty, reference, education, biography, love, relationships, gift books and women’s issues.

All submissions must be made via email. They try to respond to all submissions within 10 weeks.

To learn more about their submission guidelines you can go to their main page here.

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 month’s book, and not too kindly. These women gave all sorts of advice for things in the book they did not like. They gave ideas of what the author SHOULD have done but didn’t. There were many issues. There were too many characters. It took too long to get into the actual story. Too many loose ends. “Why were these characters introduced at the end of the book? They’re unnecessary.” The author only put in information when she felt it moved the plot along, not because that information was actually needed.

I could go on with their comments, but I won’t.

Readers, not writers, can give valuable feedback for your story. Sometimes writers get too caught up in the mechanics of the book, rather than focusing on what the reader will walk away with, if they finish your book.

There are certain things to look for when joining a book club.

1 – Look for groups with about 5-10 people. If there aren’t many people, you won’t get much feedback. If there are too many, you won’t get to hear everyone’s opinions.

2 – Make sure the group actually reads the books. It won’t do you any good to join a group to hear what they have to say about books if they don’t read them.

3 – Look for them to choose from a variety of authors. If they only read one author or one type of book, you won’t learn anything new. New authors encourage new discussion.

4 – Join more than one book club if you have the time. You can join a local book club, but you can also find many book clubs online. If you do join more than one book club, look for two that read different types of books and have different types of people to get the most out of your efforts. You don’t want to join two clubs that are exactly the same.

5 – Consider who you write for. If you write for children you may want to sit in on or have your own children join a book club. If you write chic lit, keep your book clubs to those mostly consisting of women.

If you are unsure of where a book club is in your area do a little research. Bookstores can often give you a list of book clubs in your area; many meetings taking place at the actual store. If you live in a college town ask the school if they have book clubs that non-students can join.

It is definitely worth it to you and improving your writing to join a book club and hear what readers have to say. Ultimately it encourages you to read some really great authors – which you should be doing anyway

Bio: Ruth O’Neil, born and raised in upstate New York, attended Houghton College. She has been a freelance writer for more than 20 years, publishing hundreds of articles in dozens of publications. You can visit her at http://ruths-real-life.blogspot.com/ or on her website at http://ruthoneil.weebly.com/.

Right now through September 1, Swamp Ape Review is accepting submissions for their first publication. Submitting authors can expect a response within about six months, and should wait for a response before submitting again. Authors should only submit to one category at a time.

Swamp Ape Review accepts submissions of all lengths in all categories, but they tend to publish work that fits within the following guidelines: For poetry, they prefer submissions of five poems or fewer. For fiction and nonfiction, they prefer submissions of 9,000 words or fewer. Swamp Ape Review also accepts submissions in a unique category they call “swamp:” work that defies genre. Authors may submit their weirdest work of any length in this category—there are no rules in the swamp.

Swamp Ape Review accepts submissions online, but not via post or email. They accept simultaneous submissions, but ask that authors immediately withdraw work published elsewhere. They do not accept previously published work.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Swamp Ape Review, please visit their website at https://swampapereview.submittable.com/submit.