Innehållsförteckning för October 2017 från The Writer

I think this issue, more than any other I’ve helmed, best reflects the many roads a writer’s life can take. We always cover traditional publishing quite extensively in our pages, and this month is no exception. Ryan Van Cleave’s cover story on all the little (or not-so-little) things that drive literary agents batty remains one of my favorites we’ve published. (We all know agents are smart, savvy, and talented, but who knew they were so wickedly funny?) We’re honored to host Alice Hoffman – surely a reigning queen of modern magical realism – and her sage advice on page 33. Then, after gleaning advice and know-how from these industry giants, we turn to the real, ugly, everyday hardships wordsmiths face: How to preserve your mental health when you leave an…

Although we can’t banish weak verbs entirely, we can strengthen our sentences tremendously by watching out for six typical be-verb usages. Revision is best done in steps: Multiple holistic readthroughs are important, but separate searches for particular weaknesses are also valuable Let me try that again: Revision works best in stages. Naturally, we need to read through our work holistically several times. Too often, though, we overlook targeted searches for particular weaknesses. Better? I did make other language changes, but the metamorphosis happened in the course of eliminating lifeless be verbs. While our high school English teachers may have harped on the descriptive potential of adjectives and adverbs, nothing enlivens our prose like strong, active verbs. William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well, proclaims, “Verbs are the most important of all…

We writers can be neurotic about finding ways to make writing fit into our lives. For some, writing alongside a full-time job works fine. I recently met a talented writer who penned stories while riding on the New York subway to and from work. But for others, because of long hours, childcare, illness, or other circumstances, maintaining a fulltime job and a writing career isn’t always feasible. That was the case for me when I made the decision to leave a full-time job in foreign policy to pursue my novel-in-progress. The problem? There was no roadmap for what to expect. I don’t mean just the finances: That’s another subject and deserves its own space. Here, I mean the emotional path of leaving one established career to transition into writing. The…

INSIDE LITERARY MAGAZINES Search for Cemetery Dance on Twitter, and among the glossy photos of newly released novels from the specialty press, you’ll find authors eager to share news of publication in the related magazine. Writer Annie Neugebauer captures the thrill with this post from June 21st, 2017: “I can finally share my latest news! My short story ‘White Paint’ will appear in @CemeteryDance Magazine! Cross one off the bucket list!” In short, if editors accept your story for publication in one of the oldest horror-themed publications in the country, you have arrived. In 1988, author Richard Chizmar founded Cemetery Dance Magazine to showcase horror, dark mystery, and suspense stories. Four years later, he began to publish books. The World Fantasy Award-winning magazine even bears this blessing from Stephen King…

Many writers think only of the big-name magazines as outlets to publish work. But smaller magazines that specialize in a niche market are often looking for solid writers to contribute to each issue. The magazines in this section are a small sampling of what the industry has to offer. Find more market listings at writermag.com. Information in this section is provided to The Writer by the individual markets and events; for more information, contact those entities directly. Subscribers to The Writer have online access to information on publishers, publications, conferences, contests and agents. Go to writermag.com and click on Writing Resources. ANIMALS/PETS ANIMAL WELLNESS Natural pet magazine aimed at helping pet owners make wise healthcare choices for animal companions. Accepting articles of 500-1,500 words. Particularly interested in submissions for Animal…

That the print media world is in free fall is hardly manbites- dog news. For years now, publications have been folding, downsizing, and going digitalonly at an alarming rate. In the past 16 years, death knells have tolled for onceiconic magazines like House & Garden, Gourmet, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Mademoiselle, and in just the last year, print editions of More, Self, and Lucky Peach were shuttered. Meanwhile, editors arrive and depart with revolvingdoor speed, and writers’ payments stagnate or threaten to nose dive. But despite these turbulent times, savvy freelancers keep writing and publishing, searching out fresh outlets, shaking the trees for new assignments, and working their networks. The most creative manage to survive and thrive using a multi-platform approach, a mix of online and print journalism plus writing…

AUG. 3, 2013, was the darkest day of my professional career. On the surface, things looked good. I’d just finished a series that had run on the New York Times Opinionator. I’d signed a contract for a new edition of Sin and Syntax, giving the book a new lease on life. Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch, was due out in October. But the walls of my particular literary house were closing in on me, fast. The New York Times had paid me less for those columns than I’d made since J-school. The advance for the new Sin and Syntax was 1/10 what I’d made for a second edition of my first book. (“Is there a zero missing?” I asked my agent when I saw the amount.) And my advance for Vex was…

You stuff your ego into a box, march your book right into the coliseum, and wait for the crowd to cheer, jeer, or collectively “meh.” Writers are increasingly embracing self-publishing as a route to publication. While “going indie” might not be the best answer for every writer, author Jess Riley has found great success with self-publishing. After traditionally publishing her first novel, Driving Sideways, with Random House, Riley self-published two additional novels, All the Lonely People, a finalist for the 2013 National Indie Excellence Awards, and Mandatory Release. Riley, who works as a grant writer when not penning fiction, just completed her fourth novel, which she describes as “taking place decades from now, revolving around a future evolutionary event that has the potential to both smash and reinforce human tribalism.”…

Put together any list of what a literary agent doesn’t like, and it can easily seem like WhineFest 2017 or an Author Bash Extravaganza. Here’s the thing – literary agents LOVE writers. Without them, agents wouldn’t make a single cent. Plus, writers and agents are kindred spirits who both love books, writing, and the amazing world of letters. When I reached out to invite agents to participate in this story, again and again they echoed some version of what Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency shared: “I love authors who are passionate about books, who want to work tirelessly to obtain their goals, who encourage other authors in the community, appreciate readers and the opportunity we have to partake of their time. I LOVE those like-minded individuals who see this…

C.J. Archer This former technical writer from Australia and mother of two young children is the author of 32 novels (mostly historical fantasy) and writes full time. Before self-publishing, she hoped to go the traditional route, and even secured an agent. They nearly landed a traditional publisher several times, but after two years, all four of her manuscripts were unsold, and the agent eventually terminated the relationship. By the time she decided to self-publish, Archer had about 10 completed manuscripts under her belt. With the rise of eBooks, print-on-demand platforms like CreateSpace, and even audio books, the number of self-published authors over the past five years has skyrocketed. We hear success stories, but they tend to be the Cinderella dream-cometrue stories: Andy Weir’s book-turnedblockbuster The Martian, or E.L. James’ outrageously…

Magic, mystery, and secrets are clearly important in your fiction. Can you say why? Does magic serve a plot function? Do you purposely pursue subjects that involve these elements, or do they just come to you? I don’t purposely pursue magic – it’s just part of the prose that I write. I grew up reading fairy tales and myths. For me, magic has always been a part of literature as a reader and as a writer. Magic doesn’t have so much to do with plot as it does with voice. For instance, you can tell a story in a realistic way, and if you’re Hemingway, it’s great, and it works. For me, magic is about the way the story is told rather than the story itself. It’s not a hocus-pocus…

EXCERPT: MANDATORY RELEASE SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE MY life was scripted to give the guy upstairs a giant laugh. I’ve been in a funk since last week, when I saw Drew and Joe kissing in the parking lot. This is the foundation of my little house of misery, so to speak. Next we have the framing: At my latest doctor appointment this past Tuesday, they discovered I had a bladder infection and put me on antibiotics. Here come the walls: Which gave me a red, raw rash all over my face and body. The insulation and siding: My mother’s over right now, cleaning my kitchen, stocking my fridge with barely edible casseroles and giving helpful dating advice. The plumbing and electrical hookups: I’ve been getting too much attitude lately from…