Paid Opportunities for Women Writers at Mslexia, UK
New Writing
This is a substantial section of new poetry and prose by published and unpublished authors, selected and introduced by our New Writing Guest Editor. Previous Mystery Guests include Fay Weldon, Michèle Roberts, Fleur Adcock and Val McDermid. The themes and deadlines for the upcoming issues are:
Issue 47: 2010 Mslexia Women’s Poetry Competition
Judge: Vicki Feaver 1st prize £1000; 2nd prize £500; 3rd prize £250; 22 other finalists will win £25 each. The entry fee is £5 per entry, and each entry may contain up to three poems on any subject, style and length. Read the full guidelines. Deadline: 26 July 2010
Issue 48: Departures
Taking your leave or waving off a loved one, setting off on a mini-break or the journey of a lifetime: Where are you going? Deadline: 17 September 2010 Poets, send up to four poems (strictly up to 40 lines each). Fiction writers, up to two stories (strictly under 2,200 words apiece). Please label your envelope ‘Departures’, and enclose a stamped addessed envelope. Also include a cover sheet complete with your name, address, daytime telephone number and email, the title(s) of the work submitted and a full word count, your name should only appear on the cover sheet and not on the poems/stories themselves. All prose submissions should be double spaced. We promise a response for New Writing submissions within three months of the closing date. Please Note: Emailed submissions will only be accepted from writers living overseas. If you are submitting by email, please include your land address and telephone number. Send submissions to [email protected].
OTHER SUBMISSIONS
Flash Fiction
This is a new literary form that is growing in popularity, especially on the web. The ideal piece of flash fiction tells a complete story in as few words as possible. The theme for your flashes of genius? Puddings. The word limit? 150. For initial guidance, see our article on Flash Fiction.
Deadline: 13 August 2010 We regret we can only inform you of the fate of your submission if it is accompanied by an SAE. If sending several types of work (eg. two poems, a short story, a flash fiction entry), please enclose an appropriate number of return envelopes.
Autobiography
Curious Incidents is a nonfiction slot that challenges you to mine your memory for true-life events that will touch us or teach us. Issue 47’s topic is Strangers on a Train – but we will consider Curious Incidents on any autobiographical topic. 850-900 words only, plus your CV and a brief biog. There is no need to send an SAE. Your piece will be filed, as a sample of your writing. We will contact you if we want to publish or discuss a commission.
Deadline: 13 August 2010.
Features articles
Ideas for one-off features are welcome, as a 200-word proposal plus a brief CV and a published or unpublished example of your writing. There is no need to enclose an SAE. We will keep your details on file and contact you if we want to discuss a commission.
One I love
Potential reviewers – published and unpublished – are also invited to submit to our One I love feature. Please send a 350-word account of how one book has influenced you as a writer, or as a woman. There is no need to send an SAE. We will keep your details and contact you if we want to publish your review. Deadline: 31 July 2010.
Book reviews
If you are a published reviewer, please send a sample review and a brief CV. There is no need to send an SAE. We will keep your details on file and contact you if we want to discuss a commission. Girls under 16 who would like to review children’s/YA books for us, send any sample of your writing.
Illustrations
Women visual artists, please send non-returnable examples of your work + CV. We will contact you if we want to discuss a commission.
FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
We invite subscribers to submit to OutNow/How I Did It (240 words). Deadline: 13 August 2010.
DIRECTORY
Mslexia publishes a comprehensive literature listings section, including the UK, the Republic of Ireland and Further Afield. If you know of – or are involved in – anything that might be of interest to Mslexia readers, please contact us, and we will do our best to include you in the magazine or on the website. Deadline for issue 47 (OCTNOVDEC): 13 Sept 2010 for events from 10 October to the end of January 2011. For a more prominent position in the magazine, why not advertise with Mslexia, or insert your flier?
Payment:
We pay for published submissions. The basic rates for New Writing are £25 per poem, and £15 per thousand words of prose. For Flash Fiction we pay £20; Curious Incidents £50; One I Love £50; feature articles and reviews are commissioned.
Send submissions to:
Mslexia
PO Box 656
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE99 1PZ [email protected]http://www.mslexia.co.uk/
PLEASE NOTE: we do not accept email submissions, except from overseas writers. For further information, contact here.
