Shutterstock / heorghitorosanu©Fiction Ed, Lucy keeps you up to date with a quick round-up of what’s happening on the Fiction Desk.
New Ways Of Working
The Fiction Team are enjoying being back in the office three days a week – Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
We’re working from home on Thursdays and Fridays.
Stories Needed
Traditionally at this time of year, submissions slow down a little, as people’s thoughts turn towards Christmas.
As the biggest publisher of magazine fiction in the UK – publishing 769 stories every year – we’re always looking for submissions!
For the weekly, we’re now planning into late winter/early spring.
We’re into late Spring/early Summer for the Specials.
And as always, 3000 and 2000-word stories are the lengths we need most.
Poetry Submissions Open
From now until Christmas week we’re accepting submissions from poets previously unpublished in the “Friend”.
The address to send poetry is friendpoetry@dcthomson.co.uk
Poems are included in the weekly magazine on the ‘Between Friends’ pages in the first and third issue of every month.
Our Specials each feature around five poems. And we’re open to ideas for our little Annual and our Friendship Book all year round.
The Friendship Book is set to a template; for the other publications, we usually choose poems of between 8 and 16 lines in length.
Popular topics are friends and family, and the changing seasons.
From The Team
Alan: “If you’re holding back from submitting a story for any reason, or because you’re worried about the ‘five-story rule’, I’d suggest contacting your editor to check what they’re looking for.
As regards submitting ‘grittier’ stories, these are welcome of course, but please remember that they still need to have the ‘Friend’ factor, with appropriate language and tone.”
Tracey: “Stories from the World War Two period are welcome, but we also look for period stories from a different era.”
Lucy: “Stories with a little humour would be welcome. Also stories for Easter and Lent.”
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!
