This is a new monthly feature, that we are trying out. We will only continue it if it develops a following.

This monthly column will be published on the fourth Thursday of every month. It will be divided into three sections of varying length. The first section will be focused on opportunities for writers, ranging from editorial work to journals seeking submissions.

Often at Authors Publish there are opportunities that we want to include that don’t fit neatly into an already existing list, like non-paying anthology markets open to general submissions, or journals that we’ve already reviewed that want to share that they are open to submissions again. Or they are opportunities that do fit neatly on existing lists, but we found out about them, only after we sent out the updated version of that list.

The second section will focus on various news stories and blog posts that are relevant to the creative writing community, including our perspective on it. We will still do occasional stand-alone posts focused on publishing industry issues, etc.

The third section will focus on sharing subscribers’ success stories, and linking to their recently published work. We are grateful for any feedback. Please send us an email at support@authorspublish.com if you have any thoughts.

Opportunities:

Dulcet Literary Magazine, which we reviewed before here, is open to submissions from the 1st through the 30th of November. The theme of their second issue is Dusk & Dawn. Learn more here.

The Mixtape Review is now open to submissions of prose and poetry for their second issue. They ask that submit your writing along with the title of the song, and artist.

rhizomag, is a forthcoming literary magazine dedicated to exploring themes of grief, isolation, and transformation that is founded by Puerto Rican writers Karlié Rodríguez and Melissa Alvarado Sierra.  rhizomag aims to highlight voices historically underrepresented in literature, publishing compelling narratives in English, Spanish, and Spanglish. Their first submission deadline is November 30th.

Wordrunner eChapbooks micro-prose feature opens to submissions on December 1st and they will remain open to December 31st. You can read their full guidelines here. They only pay one author 25 dollars for being the editors choice. You can read the previous collection here.

Sundress Publications is an entirely volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit publishing collective that hosts a number of online journals, and The Best of the Net competition, alongside publishing chapbooks, full-length collections, and literary anthologies in both print and digital formats. They are currently seeking editorial interns, and readers for contests, open reading periods, and solicited submissions. These readers may also review residency and reading series applications or serve as readers for Best of the Net. To learn more, go here, but please note, that none of these positions are paying. I will say, as a personal aside, that being a reader for a small press and a literary journal really helped me as an author.

News:

Penguin Random House has added a note to the copyright pages on new books and reissues, saying that they cannot be used ‘for the purpose of training artificial intelligence.’ They are the first major publishing house to add such a note to their books that I know of. You can learn more here.

HarperCollins has made a deal with a big AI company (part of the deal is they cannot disclose the name of the company – but allegedly it is Microsoft), and the first article I read about it on Publishers Marketplace made it seem like it was only for nonfiction books (You have to be a member and log in to read the full story here). However this article, which you don’t have to log in to read, makes it much clearer that the deal extends to fiction, including children’s books. Also, just in case you don’t know, AI has major environmental issues on top of all the other issues (You can read more about the environmental issues here).

Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) has announced that they will close down their serial publishing operation, Kindle Vella in February 2025. You can learn more here.

Querying authors have started to create and share “Agent and Editors guides” to their unpublished manuscripts, on social media. These guides are four images or slides that cover the title, comps, and plot, of the information, not just with words but with images. It is a growing trend and has been covered a few places including here (you must log in to read the full story), and here.

Subscribers’ Successes:

Peggy Landsman published her first full length collection of poems with Nightingale & Sparrow press, entitled Too Much World, Not Enough Chocolate.

Rochelle Jewel Shapiro’s poem, An Angel Appeared to Rilke in the Garden, was recently published by Amethyst Review.

Amethyst Review also recently published Joan Lerman’s poem, A Special Scarf.

Danielle Wong‘s picture book Misadventures of your Neighbourhood Dragon, was released in early October.

Please send us an email at support@authorspublish.com if you have a publication success you want to share in our December update.

Vassar Review is available as both a print edition and a free digital download. Each issue includes writing from around 30 contributors, as well as a supplement of digital artwork.

Each issue is also themed. The themes are broad, and Vassar Review is open to a wide range of responses. Past themes have included “Cycle and Circumstance,” “Design and Devotion,” and “Sense and Splendor”.

Now through January 19, 2025, Vassar Review is accepting submissions on the theme, “Frame and Forgery”. You can read more about the theme on their submissions page. 

Poets may submit up to six poems, ten pages or fewer. Authors of prose may submit up to 30 pages. Authors of reviews may submit up to two works. Vassar Review also accepts digital media such as soundscapes and spoken-word performances. Authors may submit up to five digital pieces. They also accept excerpts of longer works such as graphic novels and screenplays. Authors may submit bilingual texts in any genre.

Vassar Review only accepts submissions online, not via email or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors withdraw work published elsewhere. They do not except previously published writing; however, they do accept visual art that was previously exhibited (but not published in print).

Vassar Review only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Vassar Review, 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.

The New York Times
The New York Times accepts books for review. Their website says, “If you wish to submit a book for review consideration, please email a PDF of the galley at least three months prior to scheduled publication … Include the publication date and any related press materials, along with links to NetGalley or Edelweiss if applicable.” Details here (click on ‘Submit a Book to Book Review’).

Identity Theory
This online magazine publishes short fiction, nonfiction, poetry, interviews on books, music, and film, and book and film reviews. They also have a social justice section and blog. They welcome digital review copies as well as hard review copies of your book/album/film; details here.

Strange Horizons
This magazine pays for speculative fiction, poetry, and reviews, though not all genres are currently open; and they also accept works for review. “If you wish to submit a review copy, send a short description of the work in the body of your email to reviews@strangehorizons.com. You may attach publicity material to your email but please avoid links to book trailers. Please put “REQUEST FOR REVIEW” in the Subject line of your email, followed by the title and author. We accept both physical and electronic review copies, and especially favour the latter where available as our reviewers are located all over the world, and in these pandemic times the post is not always as reliable as it once was. We receive a lot of requests for reviews. If a work interests us we will be in touch to request a review copy; otherwise we are unlikely to reply. If we don’t respond within fourteen days assume we are not interested.” Details here and here (scroll down to ‘Submitting Works for Review’).  

Hippocampus Magazine
They publish creative nonfiction, and charge a submission fee for that except in some cases, see details about creative submissions here. They also review nonfiction books and do author interviews. “Hippocampus Magazine reviews new memoirs, creative nonfiction anthologies and craft books.” They provide details about where you can send a request for your upcoming/recent book for review or for an interview. They do not review self-published titles or interview self-published offers, or books that are exclusively available online. Details here.

Vol. 1 Brooklyn
Their About page says, this magazine “engages and connects the literary-minded from Brooklyn and beyond. Vol. 1 Brooklyn features short and long form content on our website and produces a number of free cultural events to bridge the gaps between various forms of culture and art.” They also publish short fiction and essays;  “Collectively, we like a wide range of work, from creative nonfiction to experimental fiction, from cultural explorations to a simply structured and well-ordered story. We have wide-ranging bookshelves; we are impressed by quality writing in a wide variety of areas” and details about that are here. They give information on where you can send books and music for review here.

Necessary Fiction
“If you are a publisher, author, or publicist and would like to submit a book for consideration, please contact reviews@necessaryfiction.com. We prefer to list a title as available then provide a reviewer’s address if/when it is requested, to avoid books being mailed twice or piling up unread in our corners.” They publish book reviews, short stories (submit stories here), and essays. “We primarily review recent (i.e., within the past year or close to it) literary fiction from small/independent presses and have a particular interest in contemporary translations. While we define “literary” broadly we probably aren’t a good fit for books in firm genres or for younger readers (and definitely not for books of nonfiction, despite the number of queries we receive). Self-published authors are welcome to submit their books if they fit those interests, but please note that reviewing self-published books is not a particular focus.” They also have a Research Notes series, where invite the author of a recent book of fiction to reflect on the “research” behind it, and for their Translation Notes series, they invite translators of literary fiction to write about the process of bringing a book into English. Details here.

Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.

Loneliness is something that can affect anyone, anywhere. You could be in a crowded room and still feel the overwhelming weight of loneliness. There are some jobs that make loneliness a handicap and, yes, writing is one of those jobs. It’s a very lonely occupation. In fact, writing as an occupation or a hobby is like committing the writer to solitary confinement.

How can this be the case, when writers are creating such vivid representations of the world, all in their use of the written language? Well, when you think of it, writers are spending most of their time typing or writing away on a device of their preference in the confines of their own home, probably with a “Do Not Disturb” sign on their door and the phones turned off. Unless you work a day job (so to speak) and write at night and on days off, writing as a full-time occupation is solitary – just you, your ideas and your recording device (pen and paper, laptop, tablet, typewriter). So, how does a writer break through the barrier of loneliness? Well, quite simply, start socializing. Here are some suggestions. First on the list are perhaps the most obvious, writing-related suggestions.

• Attend writing workshops – not only do these workshops provide a physical means to interact with other writers and learn more about the art, but it also opens doors to potential publishers, editors, and, most important, readers (because, yes, writers are also readers).
• Join a writing group – great opportunities to share your ideas and listen to other writers’ ideas.
• Mentor another writer – helping someone else with their writing ventures is by no means degrading what you do as a writer. If anything, it strengthens your writing skills as well as giving you an outlet to share, interact, engage and basically just talk to someone else interested in the art of writing.
• Teach a creative writing class – for free or for a fee, to any age group. This is a great way to promote yourself and your writing, but also a great way to interact with others. Teaching also strengthens your own writing skills, so that’s another bonus.
• Join or establish a book club – you don’t always have to be out there promoting yourself. As a writer, you’re also a reader (at least, you should be), so why not get together with other readers, read some books, share some ideas, perhaps even share some good food and wine.
• Visit seniors’ or extended care facilities – a great opportunity to talk about your work and to visit with the residents (they’re probably lonely, too). Let them do the talking as much as possible (once again, they’re full of stories, and they might inspire you with some ideas).

And, how about some non-writing socializing:

• Take some group lessons – in music, dance, theatre (who knows, there might be a story there).
• Join a walking group – exercise is good for the brain as well as the body and it’ll be a way to communicate with others (and, yes, pick up more story ideas).

Some important things to remember as you, the writer, venture out into the world to socialize and maintain your mental stability. When having a conversation with another writer, or even anyone, don’t always be the talker, be the listener, too. Why? Well, quite simply, no one wants to listen to a blabbermouth and there’s stories worth listening to, stories that might find a place in your writing. So, do share your stories, but don’t be pompous and overly self-promoting; listen to others as they share their stories. After all, it’s writers helping writers that make us all stronger.

The main thing to remember is that, even though you might be pressed with deadlines, make it a point, every day, to get out of the house, to talk to someone, to engage in the world beyond the confines of your writing space. Even just a simple trip to the grocery store, talking with the grocery clerks and cashiers, is a positive means of socializing. You must make it part of your routine to fight the urge to be a self-committed introvert, one that can easily fall into the trap of the lonely writer syndrome.

Emily-Jane Hills Orford is a country writer, living just outside the tiny community of North Gower, Ontario, near the nation’s capital. With degrees in art history, music and Canadian studies, the retired music teacher enjoys the quiet nature of her country home and the inspiration of working at her antique Jane Austen-style spinet desk, feeling quite complete as she writes and stares out the large picture window at the birds and the forest. She writes in several genres, including creative nonfiction, memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction. http://emilyjanebooks.ca