Transportation

The Museum of Americana, an online literary journal interested in publishing essays, fiction, poetry, art, and photography that relates to the  cultural history of America is putting together a themed summer issue on Transportation. They are looking for work that “reflects the special relationship Americans have to their modes of transportation—their trains and their riverboats and their classic cars and their vintage bicycles and their boots made for walking, to name only a few.” You can learn more here: https://themuseumofamericana.net/submissions/.

Science and Technology

Tigershark is publishing a themed issue on science and technology. They are an online journal that publishes fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. They are interested in science fiction “in all its forms and subgenres, modern-day stories featuring science or technology, historical tales of scientific discovery or technological invention”. They are closing to submissions on June 30th. To learn more, and to see their other calls for submissions, go here: https://tigersharkpublishing.wordpress.com/home/guidelines/

Music

The Poeming Pidgin, a publication of the Poetry Box, is looking for poems on the theme of music. This is what they have to say about their theme “we are seeking original poems that explore the topic of music—every style, every genre—from Bolero to Brown-Eyed Girl. What song triggers an unexpected walk down memory lane when you hear it on the radio? Write a sonnet based on your ‘desert-island’ playlist. Remember that old mix-tape your sweetheart made for you in high-school? Were you a rock star? Were you a groupie? Got the soul of a singer, but not the voice? Here’s your chance … Crank up the stereo and send us your best music-inspired poetry!” Submissions are due by June 30. Visit their website here: http://www.thepoetrybox.com/ThePoemingPigeon.html

The 90s

Up the Staircase Quarterly is reading submissions for their upcoming 90s issue. Submissions are due by July 1st. They accept poetry and art. This is what they have to say about their theme: “We will be accepting poetry and artwork involving and inspired by 90s music, TV shows, movies, fashion, games, technology, food & drink, and trends.” To learn more, visit their website here: http://www.authorspublish.com/up-the-staircase-now-accepting-poetry-submissions/

One of my favorite aspects of McFarland is that they welcome edited collections of essays and have a helpful guide sheet for anyone interested in curating such a collection. Find the “Editors of Multicontributor” guidelines here.

I had the pleasure of speaking with two McFarland representatives at the 2015 ConCarolinas convention in Charlotte, NC. Not only was I impressed with their professionalism and approachability, but their collection of scholarly and pop-culture themed pieces was incredible.

As we talked shop, I couldn’t help but thumb through their titles. The most memorable of which included: “The Literary Haunted House” and “Neil Gaiman in the 21^st Century” because Oh. My. Goodness. How could I not? The reps were incredibly knowledgeable and more than willing to spend nearly an hour fielding my questions about their publishing process and how they choose and work with their authors. What I learned there and from their website has rekindled my own interest in academic writing.

GENRES ACCEPTED: McFarland invites submissions in the following NON-FICTION genres:

• Popular culture
• Performing arts
• Military History
• International studies
• Health topics
• Sports, especially:
• Automotive, especially:
• Literary studies especially
• Medieval studies
• Mythology
• Folklore
• Women’s studies
• Gender studies
• Edited collections
• Multi-contributor manuscripts

SUBMITTING: Everything you need to know about becoming a McFarland author can be found here.

EDITORIAL PROCESS: While the page is not exhaustive, McFarland’s “After Delivery” section provides thorough details about what may be one of the most efficient editorial processes in the non-fiction sector. To learn what happens after a manuscript is accepted and delivered to McFarland, read here.

AUTHOR FAQ: Another helpful page is McFarland’s “Author FAQ” which is a quick way to link back to any and all of the above information, but also some parts were simply an interesting read. Again, I must admit, this page alone has given me a few seedling ideas. But even if you are not yet ready to submit to McFarland, I highly recommend bookmarking to this FAQ page found here.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Not only is McFarland’s website user-friendly, but it is fun to navigate and aesthetically pleasing. In addition to the image-heavy “Browse Books” page, I went weak in the knees for their family history and local lore. If you do too, you will enjoy the “Company History” page. Check out that gem here. McFarland publishes nearly 400 new titles each year. Perhaps the family history roots are a clue as to how and why an independent publisher inspires such variety in the nonfiction writer’s game.

BIO: Erica Davis Secor earned her Ed.M. in English Education from SUNY Buffalo. She lives with her husband and dogs in South Carolina. When she’s not teaching college English, she writes (and was a) middle grade horror. Erica welcomes connections on Twitter @TheDavisGirl.

Right now, The Quiet Circle is accepting submissions for their first issue. Submitting writers can expect a response within about three months, and should wait for a response before submitting again.

Fiction writers may submit one short story, 9,000 words or fewer, or up to three pieces of flash fiction, 1,000 words or fewer each. Poets may submit up to six poems. Nonfiction writers may submit one piece, 9,000 words or fewer.

The Quiet Circle accepts submissions via email, but not online or by post. 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 The Quiet Circle, please visit their website at http://thequietcirclemag.wix.com/home#!submit/cee5.

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 can’t recommend them enough. If you are just starting out on your writing journey, or you’re a more experienced writer looking for inspiration, then the best thing you can do is join your local writing group. Why? There are lots of reasons, but here are a few:

1. Confidence – Sharing your work for the first time is daunting. My confidence grew from reading my work in a safe and supportive environment. Other writers aren’t going to laugh at you (unless you’re reading a humorous scene, in which case hearing their laughter is music to the ears), they’ll give you positive feedback on your work. Words of praise and encouragement from experienced and published writers feeds your confidence and gives you the belief that, yes, you can do this and you do have talent.

2. Skills – I didn’t realize the mistakes I was making until I attended a writing group. Criticism is constructive; you learn what is good about your writing and what you need to work on. I learned about pacing stories, avoiding repetition, characterization, plot development and much more. Hearing the brilliant stories of other writers really helped me to sharpen up my writing and become a better writer.

3. Networking – The contacts you make at your local writing group are the start of building a network and, ultimately, an audience. As a result of attending a writing group I became aware of other writing groups and networks. It helped point me in the right direction to meet more writers and attend literary events. I also never knew there were so many online forums and groups out there. I always paid attention when someone recommended a particular group or event. No one person nows every resource you can plug into but I’ve found everyone seems to know something. All that knowledge in the same room is incredibly powerful.

4. The next level – I had no idea how to go about trying to publish a novel. At my very first meeting, two of the writers present unveiled their latest self-published books. The books looked so professional. I knew nothing about self-publishing, but right then I knew I was in the right place to find out more. Seeing the successes of others in the group and learning from their experiences can inspire you and take your writing to the next level. I went from never having shared my work before to having short stories published in magazines and anthologies and self-publishing my first novel.

Writing groups are amazing. The positive energy and creative sparks that come from getting a group of writers in a room together is inspirational and leads to great things for those in the group, as well as lifetime friendships. No group in your area? Hire a room, start one and who knows; you might just find and inspire the next best-selling author – or several.

Keith Gillison is a UK writer of flash fiction, short stories and novels in many genres including humour and crime. His stories have been published in magazines, anthologies and online. His first novel, The Boss Killers, is a dark humour crime novel and was self-published in 2015.