How to use this Page

Emily Gref is an Agent at Lowenstein Associates, as well as our contracts and royalties manager. She also handles foreign and subrights. Her interests are wide and varied. In Young Adult and Middle Grade she is looking for all genres, but has a weak spot for fairy tale, folklore, and mythology retellings. Emily is also interested in fantasy and science fiction, as well as literary and commercial women’s fiction.

In non-fiction she is looking for strong narratives and books by recognized experts with a wide-reaching platform, especially books that lend themselves well to digital mediums. Subjects of interest include popular science, linguistics, anthropology, and history. She is not looking for memoirs or biographies at this time.

To Submit

By e-mail:

For fiction, please send us a one-page query letter, along with the first ten pages pasted in the body of the message by email to assistant@bookhaven.com. If nonfiction, please send a one-page query letter, a table of contents, and, if available, a proposal pasted into the body of the email to assistant@bookhaven.com.

Please put the word QUERY and the title of your project in the subject field of your email and address it to the agent of your choice. Please do not send an attachment as the message will be deleted without being read and no reply will be sent. We reply to all queries and generally send a response within 4-6 weeks.

By mail:

For Fiction: Mail a query letter, short synopsis, first chapter and a S.A.S.E (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope).

For Nonfiction: Mail a query letter, table of contents and, if available, a proposal (if not, please send a project overview) and a S.A.S.E (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope).
To:
Lowenstein Associates
121 West 27th Street Suite 501
New York, NY 10001

Please note, if you do not include a S.A.S.E., we will not be able to respond to your submission. Please allow 4-6 weeks for our response.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: Agent, Editor & Agent Info, Middle Grade Novels, opportunity, Places to sumit, Publishing Industry, submissions, Young Adult Novel Tagged: All Genres, Emily Gref, Lowenstein Associates

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MELISSA FAULNER, Editorial Assistant, ABRAMS Books for Young Readers and Amulet has agreed to share her expertise with us and critique the four winning first pages for us in May.

Thank you everyone who sent in something for April. I read them over and each month wish I could pull off getting a critique for each one, but the editors are being very generous with their time, but please know I enjoy reading them. Feel free to resubmit a first page and try again. 

I am looking forward to meeting Melissa at the conference and reading her critiques for May. Next week I will include a short interview with Melissa on Friday. 

May’s submission deadline will be May 22nd, due to the Memorial Day.

Below is this month’s picture prompt for those of  you who like them. This illustration is by Maria Bogade. She was featured on Illustrator Saturday on Feb. 9th 2013 and I missed showing off this illustration. Thought it might provide some inspiration for a story. You do not have to use it. Feel free to submit a first page from a work in progress.

WRITERS Sending in a First Page: Please attach your double spaced, 12 point font, 23 line first page to an e-mail and send it to kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com. Also cut and paste it into the body of the e-mail. Put “May First Page Critique” or “May First Page Picture Prompt Critique” in the subject line. Make sure you have your name on the submission, a title, and indicate the genre. Also let me know if you were able to post of facebook or Tweet. You will get your name in the basket for each time you comment, tweet, or mention on facebook, giving you a better chance of being picked. If you end up doing more things to get additional entries, then e-mail me a note by May 20th. The four chosen and their critiques will be posted on May 31st.

Call for illustrations for May: Thank you to everyone who sent in an illustration for April. There are a couple that I didn’t get up. I promise I will use them in the days to come.

You can send anything, but I am especially looking for illustrations that reflect the month. I hope you will send something for May. This is a good way to get your work seen. Don’t wait, I will post the illustrations as they come in. Please make sure the illustration is at least 500 pixels wide and include a blurb about yourself and a link to see more of your work. Please send it to kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com and put “May Illustration” in the subject box.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: Artist opportunity, authors and illustrators, inspiration, opportunity, submissions Tagged: Abrams BFYR, First Page Critique, Free Fall Friday, Maria Bogade, Melissa Faulner

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If you’ve every queried an agent you’re probably familiar with the no response = not interested policy. This is when an agent/agency says if you haven’t heard from them within X-amount of time, they’re passing on your project. This isn’t a new policy. It’s been around for years.

Writers hate this policy. We get a little neurotic about it. Waiting to see if someone likes us – Ahem! I mean, likes our project – is hard. How can we know if an agent “just isn’t into us” if all we get is the silent treatment?

On the other hand, agents are busy. I mean busy! One agent reported getting 20 queries a day, and at the time of the blog-post, had 967 queries in her in-box. Is she supposed to send a personal email to all of them?

This has been a controversy for a while now, and there seem to be great points on both sides of the debate.

The agents say:

• Not having to send rejection letters means they can actually read more query letters, request more materials, and find YOU sooner!
• An agent’s time is valuable! They’re busy. They have their normal day-to-day duties to tend to – like selling their client’s books!
• It’s a business transaction. Do you get a response from every job you apply to? No.
• There’s negative karma with sending out rejection letters.
• Agents have the right to create whatever submission policy they like.

But… some agents also say:

• Responding to queries gives them a “leg up” on other agents. Now they have the “kindness factor.”
• They like to send responses because it allows them to feel like they have no loose ends.

Meanwhile the writers…

• Find it discouraging. A no-response can feel harsher than a rejection letter. Does the agent not respect them or their time?
• It can make a writer feel like they are in limbo. Did the query letter even get to the agent? Was it ever considered? Did it get stuck in the SPAM filter? (To combat this problem, some agents have created auto responders which let a writer know the query was received).
• May the mass-querying begin! If a writer knows they aren’t going to hear from an agent for months (and possibly never at all), they may start to send out mass queries. Of course, this creates more letters in an agents in-box, and the cycle begins.

Is there an easy answer to this? No.

I think an agent has every right to conduct business any way they see fit. But I do have respect for those who have sent me a rejection letter in the past. It shows me they’re a professional and they respect me. Personally, I am more likely to recommend that agent to my writer friends (even though I was rejected).

As for us writers, I think we all need to take a step back and practice our skills of patience and perseverance. The right agent is out there waiting for us – and they will contact us when the time is right.

Want to read more about this subject? Check out these other interesting articles:

SCBWI Open Letter to the Industry

Agent Natalie Lakosil’s Opinion

Agent Rachelle Gardner’s Opinion

Agent Janet Reid’s Opinion

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MEREDITH MUNDY, Executive Editor, Sterling Children’s Books has agreed to being April’s Guest Critiquer. If you haven’t met Meredith, you can meet her at the New Jersey SCBWI Conference in Princeton, NJ this June. She is a wonderful editor and a lovely person. She knows her stuff.

Meredith Mundy has been with Sterling Children’s Books for 8 years, following 11 years at Dutton Children’s Books. She is nuts about character-centered picture books (recent projects include The Big Bad Wolf Goes on Vacation by Delphine Perret, A Pirate’s Twelve Days of Christmas by Philip Yates, and Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman), but she is also seeking everything from funny, original board books to unforgettable middle grade novels to YA fiction. (No vampires, angels, mermaids, or werewolves, please, and she doesn’t usually acquire historical fiction.) While she enjoys editing nonfiction, she wouldn’t be the right editor for poetry collections or a project geared primarily toward the school and library market.

WRITERS Sending in a First Page: Please attach your double spaced, 12 point font, 23 line first page to an e-mail and send it to kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com. Also cut and paste it into the body of the e-mail. Put “April First Page Critique” or “April First Page Picture Prompt Critique” in the subject line. Make sure you have your name on the submission, a title, and indicate the genre. Also let me know if you were able to post of facebook or Tweet. That will get your name in the basket an additional time, when I am choosing the four pages. If you don’t have either of these, just leave a comment and let me know. If you end up doing more things to get additional entries, then e-mail me a note by April 20th. The four chosen and their critiques will be posted on April 26th.

This first page picture prompt was done by Susan Dietwiler. Susan was feature on March 9th. You can use this link http://wp.me/pss2W-6jt to view her artwork.

AUTHORS: If you have a new book coming out and want to be considered for a post, please e-mail me at: Kathy.temean (at) gmail.com

Call for illustrations for April: You can send anything, but I am especially looking for illustrations that reflect the month. I hope you will send something in. Last month, I did not receive very many. This is a good way to get your work seen. Don’t wait, I will post the illustrations as they come in. Please make sure the illustration is at least 500 pixels wide and include a blurb about yourself and a link to see more of your work. Please send it to kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com and put “April Illustration” in the subject box.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: authors and illustrators, Editor & Agent Info, opportunity, submissions, Writer's Prompt Tagged: First Page picture prompt, Meredith Mundy, Sr. Executive editor, Sterling Publishing, Susan Dietwiler

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New Stories from the Midwest editors are currently seeking nonfiction pieces for publication on its website as well as photos and art for the Cover Art Contest for the next print volume.

We’re interested in previously unpublished work that celebrates the Midwestern United States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Submissions for nonfiction and cover art are accepted online.

For Nonfiction
We’re open to style and length, though shorter pieces usually work better. The work has to be previously unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are encouraged, as long as you withdraw your piece.

Cover Art Contest: (extended) deadline for entries is June 1, 2013.
Because of publication delays in the last volume, New Stories from the Midwest has been allowed to extend the deadline for its second annual Midwest Cover Art Contest. For those who have already submitted, your  work is still under consideration.

We are looking for high-quality artwork in any genre (painting, photo, sculpture, digital, etc.) that represents the “essence” of the Midwest for the cover of New Stories from the Midwest 2013. The winning image  will be published on the cover of the upcoming anthology, and a brief description of the winning artwork and artist bio will be included. Last year’s winner was Jade Webber with her piece “The Bear Who Eats Hunters.” Jade received a cash payment and her art appeared on the cover of New Stories from the Midwest 2012.

How to submit
The contest is open to any professional or amateur artist who can best capture the essence of the entire Midwest in one digital image. Work must consist of previously unpublished original images taken by the entrant. Submit one image per $3 entry fee. You may submit as many images as you like. Please include a cover letter that states the title, date, size, materials used in the image, and a short bio. Feel free to provide any other information about your artwork as well. Simultaneous submissions are welcomed, but please let us know immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

Low-res images are required for submissions, but the contest winner must provide high-res images before accepting the award:

• If providing images from a digital camera: the winner must obtain the most original form of the image from the camera (raw format if available, .tif if not)
• The winner must provide accurate color lasers if digital color images are submitted, and prints of any slides or other transparencies
• Digital color images must be twice the width, and at least as tall, as the book trim, at 300 dpi (1200 if line art)

Winning artwork will be used in its original form to the extent possible,although some modifications may be necessary to accommodate the physical requirements of the book. These may include cropping, resizing, adjustments to color or contrast for optimal print reproduction, overprinting type, and other customizations as needed. The art will not be significantly altered, appear unnatural, or have elements added or removed. Artist must have permission from all models featured in the artwork. Most importantly, the image must reproduce well as printed cover art.

New Stories from the Midwest presents each year twenty of the best published short stories set in the Midwestern United States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The goal of New Stories from the Midwest is to celebrate an American region that is often ignored in discussions about distinctive regional literature and demonstrate how the quality of fiction from and about the Midwest rivals that of any other region. We want the cover art to demonstrate that same quality.

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Drafthorse literary journal is seeking submissions for its Summer 2013 issue.  Drafthorse is a biannual online publication of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, visual narrative, and other media art where work, occupation, labor—or lack of the same—is in some way intrinsic to a narrative’s potential for epiphany.  We are interested in how work, or the absence of it, effects people and communities on an intimate level.  While we’re open to various interpretations, we expect the subject to be fundamental to your submission in some way.  Complete submission guidelines are available online.

We are especially looking for fiction, creative nonfiction and visual art.  Submission deadline for the Summer 2013 issue is April 30, 2013.

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The editors of Snail Mail Review are now seeking submissions for their 6th issue.

Submissions are open until June 30, 2013. We would love to receive a submission from you. We accept all genre in Poetry and Fiction.

There is No Pay for accepted submissions. Contributors will receive a complimentary copy as payment. No online submissions will be accepted unless it is from overseas. If you are interested in submitting, please send 3-5 poems of not more than 35 lines and/or 1-7 pages of fiction to:

Snail Mail Review
c/0 Christine Chesko
1694 Augusta Pointe Dr.
Ripon, Ca. 95366

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The editors of Conte, an online journal of narrative writing founded in 2005, announce an open submissions call for poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction for our nineteenth issue, slated for publication in Summer 2013. Recent contributors include Norman Dubie, Bruce Bond, Andrew Hudgins, Erika Meitner, Bruce Weigl, Robert Wrigley, Sandy Longhorn, Jim Daniels, Nin Andrews, and E. Ethelbert Miller, among others.

Visit our website for specific guidelines and past issues. We accept simultaneous submissions through Submittable at and strive to respond in three months or less. We look forward to reading your work!

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The Indian River Review is currently soliciting submissions for its third issue scheduled for publication in late spring/summer 2014. The theme for this issue is “Technology,” and we plan to take a very broad view of this theme. As man moved from an oral to a literate culture, technology has affected the way we communicate and live. At one time, even the simple number 2 pencil was a technological advancement. From quills to computers, from knitting needles to the Mars Rover, technology comes in many forms, and we would like to explore this concept in our third issue.

The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2014. Genres include short fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, critical essays, black and white photography, and book reviews. Please go to this link at the journal's weblog for submission details.

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Alice Walker famously argued that a"woman is not a potted plant." Whether we choose our paths or plant our own "seeds of change," women strive to fit in to the skin we are given. In our own words, writers,teachers, and speakers share their stories of finding themselves through shifts--from great to small.

We are seeking submissions for an anthology that will focus on stories about major life shifts regarding unspoken needs, social change, community, and defining self. This book will be written by and for women about change.

Submissions can be short stories,essays, plays and poems. 3,000 word maximum.

Submit to:

musewritecommunityATyahooDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to .)

by June 1. 2013.

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Ontologica, a Bi-annual literary magazine of art and thought is open for submissions starting 3/1/2013 - 4/30/2013. We will be accepting submissions in Non-Fiction, Fiction, and Art.

Ontologica aims to present an eclectic mix of prose and art. Ours is a journal of differing perspectives. Readers will be just as likely to encounter the Christian as the Marxist, the relative as the absolute, the liberal as the conservative in the essays we present. We want to offer material that is illuminating, challenging, and, if need be, antagonizing. Above all it must accessible. Accessibility here doesn't just mean a lack of specialized language, but a writing style that invites the reader in. Work with a philosophical slant is preferred, but not required. What is required is contemporary relevance and, more or less, general appeal. (An essay on the difference between Transcendentalist and Romantic poetry, no matter how well written, will most likely not find a home in Ontologica). Unless you lived a sublimely amazing life, no so-called creative non-fiction or memoirs.

We will include a small amount of fiction, and visual art in every issue. There is no clear-cut definition of what we're looking for in fiction, though, like non-fiction, accessibility is a good keyword. We want fiction and poetry that moves beyond simple entertainment. In the words of Robert Bly, we want work that punches a hole in the pervading culture of denial: The health of any nation's soul depends on the capacity of adults to face the harsh facts of the time. Pieces that point to the injustices of the world and reminds us of our own mortality, rather than giving us reason to ignore them, will be greeted here. Genre pieces are okay as long as, like the work of Cormac McCarthy or Robert Heinlein, the story transcends the limitations of the genre. Pieces that treat intense subjects without linguistic finesse or subtlety will not likely appear in the magazine--bring us to the battle lines without blatant preaching, childish whining, or melodrama.

All this applies equally to visual art submissions. Above all the work must have a distinct sense of subject. No ultra-modern, Jackson Pollock slapdashery. This doesn't mean we want black-and-white photos of your lawn furniture. The art we present must engage our readers, whether through shock or awe. Ontologica wants art that fantastically suggests the possible, or horrifically portrays the actual.

Non-fiction and fiction submissions should be no more than 25 pages in length. Flash fiction is generally discouraged. For art, send between 3 and 5 high quality JPEG or PNG files. Send all submissions as attachments. For more submission information, please see our Submissions page. Send all submissions to:

ontologicajournalATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to .)

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WRITERS Sending in a First Page: Please attach your double spaced, 12 point font, 23 line first page to an e-mail and send it to kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com. Also cut and paste it into the body of the e-mail. Put “March First Page Critique” or “March First Page Picture Prompt Critique” in the subject line. Make sure you have your name on the submission, a title, and indicate the genre. Also let me know which steps you took, so I will know how many times to put your name in the basket. If you end up doing more things to get additional entries, then e-mail me by March 23rd. The four chosen and their critiques will be posted on March 1st.

The above is the First Page Picture Prompt for March. Illustrated by Jen Betton. Jen was featured on illustrator Saturday if you would like to see more of her work. http://wp.me/pss2W-6bk You can also visit her website: www.jenbetton.com or her blog: www.jenbetton.blogspot.com

AUTHORS: If you have a new book coming out and want to be considered for a post, please e-mail me at: Kathy.temean (at) gmail.com

Call for illustrations for March: You can send anything, but I am especially looking for illustrations that reflect the month of March. Last month I did not get many of your illustrations. I hope you will send something in. You do not have to wait, I will post the illustrations as they come in. Please make sure the illustration is at least 500 pixels wide and include a blurb about yourself and a link to see more of your work. Please send it to kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com and put “March Illustration” in the subject box.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: Artist opportunity, authors and illustrators, marketing, opportunity, submissions Tagged: Call for Illustrations, First Page Critique, Free Fall Friday, Frist Page Picture Prompt, Jen Betton

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Call for submissions & cash prize: Mason's Road Online Literary Journal

We are now accepting your best fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, drama, and craft essays. Issue Seven's theme is POINT OF VIEW, and we are looking for unique and arresting takes on first, second, or third-person narration.

Our submissions period runs for through April 1, 2013. There are two ways to submit to Mason's Road.

You can submit for free any time during our submissions period, and your work will be given thorough consideration for publication.

Or, you can submit with a $10 fee, and your work will also be considered for our Mason's Road Winter Literary Award, which includes publication and a $500 prize to the best entry we receive. For more information about how to submit or the cash prize, go here.

Sponsored by the Fairfield University MFA in Creative Writing Program, Mason's Road is an online literary journal with a focus on the lifetime learning of the writing craft. It is run by the program's graduate students and its goal is to be both educational and inspiring.

Submit today! Good luck!

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We are currently OPEN for submissions.
The reading period for Issue 2 is February 1, 2013 through April 15, 2013.

Submission Guidelines
As Us accepts original and previously unpublished works by Indigenous women and women of color. Simultaneous submissions are allowed but please inform us immediately if your piece is accepted elsewhere for publication. As Us accepts poetry, spokenword, creative nonfiction, fiction, academic essays, and more. If you have some innovative work or want to send us other genres, feel free to send it. We are looking for writing that moves us in some capacity whether that be on a craft, emotional, or story level.

ALL submissions should be in 12 pt Times New Roman, typed, paginated, and should include your name, address, phone number, and email address in the header of each page.

Poetry: please send us 3-5 poems.
Fiction: No more than 7,000 words.
Creative Nonfiction: No more than 7,000 words.
Academic Essays: No more than 7,000 words.
Spokenword: please send up 1-3 pieces. You may also include an audio or video of your work as well.
Reviews: If you have a review of a book written by an Indigenous author or a woman of color whose work you feel needs to be promoted we are definitely interested.

Email:

asDOTusDOTjournalATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to .) for queries.

For ONLINE issues: We also accept photo essays, web comics, dance submissions, audio poems/prose, and more! If you think you have something that fits the mission, but isn’t listed on our page here, try us anyway!

For international submissions: Please include your writing in your language along with an English translation.
Email submissions to:

asDOTusDOTjournalATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to .)

Include name and genre in the subject line. (First Name Last Name – Poetry / Fiction / etc)
Include a brief cover letter with a short biographical statement (including your Indigenous affiliation or cultural heritage) with each submission.
Response time is typically 1-3 months.

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Minor Arcana Press is currently welcoming submissions of poems related to superheroes and superhero mythology for a new anthology titled Drawn to Marvel. Please send poems to:

kryptonnightsATyahooDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to .)

with the tagline Super Poems.  

Deadline for submissions: May 15, 2013.
The anthology is edited by Bryan D. Dietrich and Marta Ferguson.

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With its Ninth Issue just published today, H.O.D. (A Handful Of Dust) is once again calling for your submissions.

ISSUE 10 WILL PRIMARILY FOCUS ON VIOLENCE AS A THEME. WE WANT POEMS THAT FOCUS ON PRE-VIOLENCE, POST-VIOLENCE, and ALL THE ACTS IN BETWEEN.

SUBMISSIONS NOT TOUCHING ON THIS THEME MAY BE HELD INDEFINITELY.

Are you a poet? Submit 3-5 poems (3-5, not 1-2) in the body of an e-mail addressed to:

 h.o.d.submissionsATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to .)
No attachments.
Any submission outside of these simple guidelines will be subject to deletion without reading.

Are you a short-short-short fiction writer? Submit your sub-250-word story in the body of an e-mail to:

 h.o.d.submissionsATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to .) No attachments.

Read an issue or two to see just what length we're looking for. Any submission outside of these simple guidelines will be subject to deletion without reading.

Are you an artist? Submit your beautiful work as low-res .jpegs to:

h.o.d.submissionsATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to .)

We will request higher-res, if we like the work. BLACK&WHITE photography preferred. Would also like to see more art (ink and paint).

Are you still reading? AWESOME! We're looking to fill the next issue of H.O.D. Issue #10 goes live on June 21, 2013. While there is a theme, we're open to any interpretation of this very vague and open theme, especially in terms of PRE-VIOLENCE and POST-VIOLENCE. ALL GUTS WITHOUT GLORIFICATION, please.

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Devilfish Review, an online quarterly magazine, is looking forsubmissions of fiction and flash fiction. We prefer speculative fiction and fantasy, but will read anything. Please take a look at our archives and About pages to see if your work will be a good fit.

Submissions are read on an ongoing basis. Previously unpublished work only, please. Simultaneous submissions are fine. Our website.

Submit your work here.

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By Jessica Bell

As a co-founder and editor for Vine Leaves Literary Journal, I have read my fair share clichéd submissions. And I'm afraid to say, that most of the time, they make me wince.

As a writer, it is likely hard to comprehend how overwhelming these clichéd submissions can get. You are only one person after all, with one cliché in front of you, and it's logical to think, Oh, it'll be all right, surely there won't be any other subs like this. But you would be surprised. What you need to think is: Am I really going to be noticed amongst an inbox full of 300-400 other submissions if I'm writing about the sea breeze, and quiet dark nights?

Vine Leaves Literary Journal has been around for more than a year now. And the clichés (especially in poetry) that most frequently overwhelm us are:

• gardens/plants (pretty red poppies, bees, roses and Eden)
• sun/moon/stars (shining, glistening on sand or water)
• beating hearts (oh I love you so much my heart is racing)
• quiet nights (as I caress your cheek, as soft as a baby's bottom)
• gentle breezes (I close my eyes and feel your presence)
• oceans/beaches (my toes dig into the warm sand)
• weather/seasons (birds chirping in spring, heat waves rising off the road)

However, if you are sure that you have written about these things in a unique way, we're totally open to reading about them. But trust me, we will be extra critical.

For an example of one unique way to write about gardens, take a look at The History of Dirt, by Allie Marini Batts, from Issue #03, page 37. This WOWED me.

So how can we twist the above clichéd topics into interesting reading?

For starters, use objects as metaphors for emotions or personality traits; plants in a non-garden context to attract attention and intrigue; give pretty things ugly qualities, and vice versa; compare love to a simple gesture that isn't saccharine; instead of talking about the quiet night, find a quiet detail to draw attention to, an elderly man kicking a newspaper in an abandoned street perhaps, and his echoing grunt. Think opposite, think unpredictable. Tweak a common feeling with a unique bent, experiment with poetic prose.

Sure, clichés exist because they come from real life, and you may argue that they are 'relatable.' But the way in which one experiences things isn't always the same. As writers, it's your duty to make your readers see through a unique pair of eyes. Tell me, which of the following excerpts is the most clichéd? And which is more interesting to read?

As I step foot onto the sand, I realize I'm ready to wipe the slate clean, to start again in a new town where I no longer feel the weight of regret on my shoulders, or the desire to runaway; a place where I can accept who I am.

As I step foot onto the sand, I realize I’m ready to wipe this regret from my skin; to immerse myself in a new ocean, where my desire for fleeing this emotional cage hides like a mermaid ambivalent about growing legs.

What other clichés can you think of that you persistently see in writing? Or better still, what have you read that uses a cliché in a unique way?


Need more help with your writing? Why don't you try Jessica's pocket guide, Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Telling to Showing?


About the Author:

If Jessica Bell could choose only one creative mentor, she’d give the role to Euterpe, the Greek muse of music and lyrics. This is not only because she currently resides in Athens, Greece, but because of her life as a thirty-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, whose literary inspiration often stems from songs she’s written.

She is the Co-Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal and annually runs the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca. She makes a living as a writer/editor for English Language Teaching Publishers worldwide, such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, MacMillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

Visit Jessica's blog, The Alliterative Allomorph, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

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"Redactions: Poetry, Poetics, & Prose" seeks poetry and fiction submissions.

Submissions in General:
Redactions: Poetry, Poetics, & Prose seeks submissions from everyone of every gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

Please include a brief bio & your snail mail address. We only accept submissions through email. We accept simultaneous submissions, but we do not accept previously published work. We prefer Word attachments. We try to read submissions throughout the whole year, & we generally respond in about two months (a bit longer in the summer). All rights to published work(s) revert back to the author. (Please mention first publication in Redactions: Poetry, Poetics, & Prose if the work is reprinted.)

Poetry Submissions:
To submit poems to Redactions: Poetry, Poetics, & Prose, please email us at:

redactionsPOETRYATyahooDOTcom (Change At to @ and DOT to .)

and attach a submission of 3-5 poems into one Word, Wordpad, PDF, or Notepad document (or something we can open) or place the submission in the body of the email.

Prose Submissions:
To submit fiction, flash fiction, or creative non-fiction to Redactions: Poetry, Poetics, & Prose, please email us at

redactionsPROSEATyahooDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to .)

and attach one prose piece that is 2500 words or fewer as a Word, Wordpad, PDF, or Notepad document (or something we can open) or paste the submission in the body of the email. You may submit up to three flash fictions at once, but please include them in one document or paste them into the body of the email.

Read our complete submission guidelines here.

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Switched-On Gutenberg, a poetry magazine online since 1995, is now accepting submissions for our 2013 issue. We are looking for poems on the themes:

NO CUTE PETS
and
VELVET ELVIS: BAD ART
Full Submission guidelines here.

Submissions for the next issue will be taken until March 31, 2013.

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Dear friends and past contributors of Harpur Palate,

We are now calling for submissions for our upcoming issue 13.1! The theme for this issue is country living. We are looking for essays, stories, and poems that take us away from city skyscrapers and closer to the eclectic American countryside. We want to be taken to the apex of an Adirondack Mountain, to the front porch of Aunt Bernice's goat farm, to the bayous of Mississippi. Tell us what it was like to plow a field in the 1900's, what it feels like to milk a cow with your hands. And while you're at it, we've always marveled at the art of fly fishing.

We want to see more than the archetypal moonshiners who drive beat up pick-up trucks, and men who play fiddles that are lost in their beards, so give us more than “hillbilly” stereotypes and “hick” dialogue. Give us essays that will haunt us, stories with raw characters that we cannot forget, and poems that hum with nature. Bring the sounds of the American country alive and surprise us by what we find there.

The deadline is April 15. General submission guidelines apply.


Our John Gardner Memorial Prize for Fiction contest is also open.The annual winner receives a $500 prize and publication in the upcoming Harpur Palate. All submissions will be considered for publication and all entrants will receive a copy of the issue in which the winning submission appears. More information can be found on our website linked below.

Click here to submit electronically. Feel free to contact us for questions or more information. We are on the Internet! Find below links to various social networks where you can contact us. Good luck this publishing season, and we hope to see your submissions soon!

All the best,
Harpur Palate

--
Harpur Palate
Binghamton University
English Department
P.O. Box 6000
Binghamton, NY 13902-6000

Harpur Palate website
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Prime Number Magazine seeks smart, well-written book reviews that explore the author’s craft and examine where the work fits within current literary trends. We are not seeking reviews that accentuate the negative. Prime Number Magazine’s on-line quarterly seeks four 400-800 word reviews and one author interview of800-1,200 words per issue. Our print annual seeks one to two review essays,between 2,000 and 3,000 words, which critically examine two or more authors.Our review essays are peer-reviewed, so please send us only your best critical works. Our print annual may also include a longer author interview with a notable writer. Though our print interviews are often conducted by our Prime Number Magazine staff, if reviewers have an interview idea, please pitch us the idea.

Though Prime Number Magazine frequently has books for assignment, we encourage our reviewers to query us if they have a suggested book for review. (Note, unless provided by one of our participating presses and assigned by our staff, all reviewed books are the responsibility of the review author to obtain.) Please direct queries or questions concerning book reviews or author interviews to the Prime Number Magazine book reviews editor at:

booksATprimenumbermagazineDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to .)

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In case you missed the announcement on Sunday, I am very excited to announce that Jenne Abramowitz, Senior Editor at Scholastic has agreed to be out Guest Critiquer for February.  She acquires chapter books and middle grade fiction, as well as easy readers. She has worked with a diverse and talented list of authors and illustrators including Marion Dane Bauer, Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver, Frank Remkiewicz, Beth Ain, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Robert Neubecker, and Kevin Sherry.

Before joining Scholastic, Jenne worked at the Sheldon Fogelman Agency and Harlequin. Jenne looks for commercial voices and high-concept plots. She loves mysteries, modern (but not epic) fantasy, adventures, humor, ghost stories, and anything with a really juicy secret.

Jenne will be on the faculty at the New Jersey SCBWI Conference in June and doing critiques. This is a great opportunity to, not only, learn from Jenne, but to get a flavor of what she thinks and help you prepare for the conference.  Registration will open shortly for the conference. Don’t worry about not seeing the information, I will post as soon as registration is open. The New Jersey conference gets writer’s and illustrator from all over the country and many parts of the world.

Deadline for First Page Critique Submission: February 23rd.

WRITERS Sending in a First Page: Please attach your double spaced, 12 point font, 23 line first page to an e-mail and send it to kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com. Also cut and paste it into the body of the e-mail. Put “December First Page Critique” or “February First Page Picture Prompt Critique” in the subject line and send it to me at: Kathy.temean(at)gmail.com and send by February 23rd. Make sure you have your name on the submission, a title, and indicate the genre. Also let me know which steps you took, so I will know how many times to put your name in the basket. The four chosen and their critiques will be posted on March 1st.

The picture prompt for this month is by Lisa Anchin to help inspire a first page for Free Fall Friday or send a first page in progress from a story.  Lisa was featured on Illustrator Saturday on October 27th last year.  Take a look to see more of her great artwork. http://wp.me/pss2W-5yi

AUTHORS: If you have a new book coming out and want to be considered for a post, please e-mail me at: Kathy.temean (at) gmail.com

Call for illustrations for February: You can send anything, but it may not get used for February, unless I have a post that will go with it. I will try to use all illustrations that reflect the month. You do not have to wait, I will post the illustrations as they come in. Please make sure the illustration is at least 500 pixels wide and include a blurb about yourself and a link to see more of your work. Please send it to kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com and put “February Illustration” or “General Illustration” in the subject box.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: authors and illustrators, Editor & Agent Info, opportunity, submissions Tagged: Call for Illustrations, First Page Critique, Jenne Abramowitz, Lisa Anchin, Scholastic

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Subject: Re: “Sustainability” Essay Contest and Call for Submissions

For a special "Human Face of Sustainability" issue, Creative Nonfiction, in association with Arizona State University's Global Institute of  Sustainability, are looking for essays that illuminate environmental, economic, ethical and/or social challenges related to the state of the planet and our future.

The full call for submissions can be found on the Creative Nonfiction website.

A cash prize of $10,000 will be awarded for the best essay. Selected essays will be published in Creative Nonfiction #51 (early 2014), and an expanded book version will be published in Spring 2014. All submissions received before May 31, 2013, will be considered for both the magazine and the book.

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Glass: A Journal of Poetry (ISSN 1941-4137) seeks poems for its sixth year of publication.  Full information about Glass, including submission guidelines, can be found at our website.
 
Glass is an online poetry journal that appears two times a year (June and December).  We want to see poetry that enacts the artistic and creative purity of glass. We seek to promote new and established poets by publishing their work. We are not bound by any specific aesthetic; our only mission is to present high quality writing. All styles, forms and schools of poetry are welcome, though easy rhymes and “light” verse are less likely to inspire us. All will be judged on the quality of the content of the poem. We like poems that show a careful understanding of language, music, passion and creativity and poems that surprise us. Previous contributors include Rane Arroyo, Jim Daniels, Lisa Fay Coutley, Sandy Longhorn, Marcus Jackson, and Karen J. Weyant.

This year we will also have two featured theme sections:Rebirth (Spring/Summer 2013) and Great Lakes Poets (Fall/Winter 2013-2014). Full submission guidelines available on our website.

Submissions should be sent to our email address and should include up to four poems pasted into the body of the email. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. We accept submissions between September 1 and May 31. Please read our submission guidelines carefully.

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