Shutterstock / Silver Wings©Hello, and welcome to this week’s round-up of news from the Fiction Desk.
On The Fiction Desk
The Fiction Team is a team of four, with Alan, Tracey, and Fiction Ed, Lucy working on the editorial side.
On the artwork side, Manon recently returned to her role as Commissioning Illustrations Editor, following maternity leave.
A warm welcome back!
Saying Goodbye To Karen
Karen, who covered for Manon in her absence, will leave the Team this Friday.
We’d like to thank Karen for all her hard work over the past twelve months, so sincerely appreciated.
Manon will now be the sole point of contact for illustrators, regarding artwork briefs or covers.
New Series Needed
Our latest series in the weekly ‘Friend’ is Karen Houseman’s ‘The Little Local Library’.
The series which will follow is now well underway; we’re now looking for the series after that.
It will run from June of 2025 until the beginning of January, 2026.
Each series is composed of thirty instalments, each of 800 words; payment is £75 per instalment.
If you have an idea for a summer-into-winter series, please contact your assigned editor in the first instance.
Our Competition Winners
The winning story from our Bursary Competition has gone to press, and will appear in our May 4 issue.
Category-winning and runner-up stories will appear throughout this anniversary year.
We’ve chosen some additional stories from the competition for publication in the ‘Friend’.
These authors have been contacted, and the stories are currently out for illustration. Exciting!
Serials Wanted
We’re looking for new serial ideas from established ‘Friend’ serial authors.
Serial synopses from two to eight instalments are welcome.
We’re also open to ideas for longer-length serials, of ten or twelve instalments.
Stories Welcome
Late summer stories for the weekly are welcome – and early autumn stories for the Special.
Lucy Crichton Better known as “Fiction Editor Lucy”, I am always on the look-out for the very best short stories, poems and pocket novels. As well as sourcing enjoyable content, I enjoy working with our established contributors, encouraging new talent, and celebrating 155 years of “Friend” fiction!
