Shutterstock©Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s Fiction Ed’s blog.
If you’re new to the blog, I post here on Thursdays, with advice for writers hoping to submit fiction for publication in “The People’s Friend”.
Occasionally, we’ll have a piece on the fiction in our Archive.
And sometimes – like this week – I’ll post a general round-up of the latest news from the Fiction Desk.
The Fiction Team
We’re now a team of four – on the editorial side, we have Tracey, Alan and Fiction Ed, Lucy, and we work alongside Commissioning Illustrations Editor, Karen.
Who To Contact
If you’re an author yet to be published in the “Friend”, please send your story to friendfiction@dctmedia.co.uk
If your submission is a pocket novel, or you’re a published poet, Tracey is your contact – tsteel@dcthomson.co.uk
For news on a story you’ve submitted, please contact your assigned editor.
Submissions – What We’re Looking For
3000- and 2000-word stories are most needed right now.
For weekly issues, I’m now reading with a view to scheduling in winter.
For ‘People’s Friend’ Specials, I’m reading for into the New Year.
I still have a few slots to fill in our December issues and hope to have all the Christmas reading complete soon.
The People’s Friend Annual 2026
We work well ahead when it comes to putting our annual together!
The People’s Friend Annual 2024 is available now, and the stories for PFA 2025 are with our Production Team.
Stories for the annual are bought and illustrated all the way through the year, and I’m already starting to plan for our Annual 2026.
I’m looking for traditional, feel-good stories for the annual, with ‘anytime’ stories, and stories which reflect the rhythm of the year, welcome – Valentine’s, Easter, summer, harvest, Remembrance, Christmas.
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!
