Shutterstock / garagestock©Fiction Ed Lucy is rather busy at the moment. So I’m stepping in to give you all the latest news from the Fiction desk . . .
What are we looking for?
At the moment we would like you to submit 2000 and 3000 word stories. We need a lot of this number.
Though please do remember we accept 10% of the word count above or below the required target.
This doesn’t mean we don’t need other word counts. Of course we do!
We have a healthy stock of 1200 at the moment, so perhaps put those aside for a few weeks and think about a longer story for us.
We’re also looking for all our usual genres. Our period stories can be set further back than Victorian era, if you fancy giving a different time period a go.
Seasonal stories
At the moment we we’re working on January issues for the weekly and February onwards for the Specials.
You don’t have to write a seasonal story, but if you do please bear in mind the stage we’re at in scheduling.
Some things to remember
We don’t take stories that are under 1000 words in length.
Stories from the viewpoint of an animal are also a no-no. The “Friend” reader should always feel satisfied at how a story ends. It can be dramatic, but not too downbeat.
Please be mindful of our word counts!
If you’re writing a period story, please put at the top of your manuscript the era in which it’s set.
If you have an idea for a serial, please send us a full outline before you begin writing it.
When will I hear about my story?
Please be patient.
These are challenging times, and our priority is to get all the “Friend” publications off to press.
Every single team within DC Thomson is working very hard to keep everything moving.
Jobs that would normally take 10 minutes are taking much longer, and we have to prioritise our various jobs to ensure things continue to go as planned.
We’ve been returning USMs that have included an SAE, and we’ll hopefully be letting people who have been asked to be notified by email our decisions soon.
Some story lengths, genres and seasons will be read before others, depending on what we need for scheduling.
Lucy has to make sure the mix is perfect every week.
The reading process is as robust as always.
Lucy will read them before they’re passed onto Angela for a final decision. We wouldn’t have it any other way, but due to how busy everyone is, things can take a bit longer.
Despite these strange circumstances we will not allow standards to slip!
And finally . . .
We want to say a HUGE thank you to all of you for sticking with us and making these difficult times much easier.
We appreciate your frustrations and we really are doing everything we can.
Your continued support and understanding means a great deal. Thank you!
For more from the Fiction desk, click here.
Tracey Steel Having worked on a number of magazines over the years, I have found my perfect place on the “Friend” as I’m obsessed with reading and never go anywhere without a book! I read all of our stories with a mug of tea close by and usually a bit of strong cheese too!
