MORE BITS & PIECES FOR Writers/Authors #168

REASONS TO KEEP WRITING: DICK FRANCIS, age 89, the jockey who turned to writing bestselling thrillers set in the world of horse racing. There were more than 40 novels, selling more than 60 million copies. Francis, who left school at 15, always admitted that his wife, a former teacher and university graduate, helped with the research – she even learned to fly to assist with one book – and that she tidied his grammar, spelling and punctuation. The couple had an arrangement with publisher Michael Joseph that all Francis books, including his first, a biography called The Sport of Queens, would remain in print so long as he produced a new novel each year. Accordingly, he sat down to write on January 1st and produced a finished manuscript on March 31st, before they both embarked on the research for the following year’s book. Francis was champion jockey in 1953-54, but it was the Devon Loch disaster that made him a national hero, in the traditional British way as a gallant loser. The queen mother’s horse, well ahead of the field, was haring for victory when it suddenly did a belly-flop a few yards short of the winning post. By the time jockey and horse had recovered, most of the rest of the field had gone past.

RUNNING TIMES – the authoritative voice for the dedicated runner. Willing to work with unpub’d writers. Features 1500-3000/wds. Columns 800-1200/wds. Fiction 1500-3500/wds. Any genre, related to running and runners. Guidelines: http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=6878

SEA KAYAKER – looking for destination and journal articles. Depts open to ideas. Guidelines: http://www.seakayakermag.com/contribute/writers_guidelines.htm

COMMUNICATIONS NEWS – mag written for enterprise telecommunications, data communications and network managers who are looking for solutions for their corporate or organization networks that are practical, proven and cost-effective. Looking for features, cover stories, product spotlight. Neg. fees & rights. Guidelines: http://www.comnews.com/mediakit/contributing.aspx

TRAVEL + LEISURE - about Travel, the latest resorts, hotels, fashions, foods and drinks. Guidelines: http://www.travelandleisure.com/contact (scroll down for submissions)

ZOETROPE – looking for short stories and one-act plays no longer than 7000/wds/max. Neg. fees & rights. (Also see info on short fiction contest) Guidelines: http://www.all-story.com/submissions.cgi

THE CHRONICLE OF THE HORSE – mag of competition results, how-to equitation, horse care, interviews with prominent horse people. Nonfiction, fillers, photos & artwork. Guidelines: http://www.chronofhorse.com/search/node/writers%20guidelines

THREADS – bimonthly how-to mag celebrating garment sewing, design, embellishment, machine and hand embroidery. Looking for new authors. Guidelines: http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/th_authorguidelines.asp

MOAA MAGAZINE (Military Officers Association of America) - for commissioned and warrant officers, families, surviving spouses of Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, Nat’l Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin. actively serving and retired. Topics: Current military/political affairs; recent military history, especially Vietnam, Korea; travel; financial planning; health, fitness; military family; retirement lifestyles; general interest. No fiction, poetry, or fillers. No reprints. First rights, to include Internet and reprint rights. Features, up to $1800; mini-features, up to $1000. Guidelines: http://www.moaa.org/Magazine/Guidelines.asp

HERIZONS, Canada - publishes articles related to "health, social and political issues, environmental issues, equality issues, justice issues, spiritual issues, parenting issues and all issues informed by diverse racial and cultural experiences". The main pieces published are news (500-800 words), features 1000-3000/wds; reviews 400/wds. Pays $200/thousand wds. First North American Rights. Guidelines: http://www.herizons.ca/writers.html

GLIMMERTRAIN SHORT STORY AWARDS FOR NEW WRITERS – Deadlines: Feb., May, Aug., Nov. Entry fee $15. 1st place: $1200. Guidelines: http://www.glimmertrain.com/shorawfornew2.html

2010 PYRICAL PASSION VERY SHORT FICTION AWARD – Deadline: June 10, 2010. Entry fee: $4/story. $10/collection. 1st prize $200. Seeking high quality short fiction of 1000/wds. Guidelines: http://lyricalpassionpoetry.yolasite.com

71st ACW CLUB WRITING CONTEST – monthly contests, see list http://www.acwclub.com

FANSTORY CONTESTS – See monthly list: http://www.fanstory.com/contests.jsp

yWriter 2 – a writers help to show words used most repeated in mss. Free download http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter.html

ABOUT THOSE LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEWS - TIP: If you don't get a review when you first submit your ARC to review journals, don't give up. Research the reviewers who write for that journal or site, send them personal queries. You have to find a reviewer who likes your genre and submits reviews in it. Go to the Library Journal site and sign up for their editorial schedule, or email their marketing dept and tell them you'd like to receive an editorial schedule. They may have a whole issue dedicated to your genre. The regular notice they send out may or may not give you the name of reviewers. Another way is to get reviews by going around the system they have set up. To read about getting in the backdoor of Library Journal, read the rest of this article at http://www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/#uds-search-results

DIGITAL BK PRINTING 4 DUMMIES® - complete guide 2 navigating the world of digital printg & POD. URL: https://www.ibpa-online.org/digitalfordummies.aspx

LITERARY CONTEST SCAMS – Writers should bookmark this link & check the list before entering any contest. http://windpub.com/literary.scams