1 December 2012

The confession

When the series of bomb blasts rocked the railways that week, Suresh remembered the three men. Their expressions, their gestures, their words suddenly took on a different meaning. Hadn’t he curiously run into them again and again at different stations? Didn’t they always seem agitated, as though something they were planning had gone wrong? Or perhaps, because something was about to begin.

Conscientiously doing his duty, old Suresh was bent almost double as he stumbled along the platform, mechanically stroking his threadbare broom in front of him. He had a long peppery beard and wild...


Read the full story in the December 2012 issue of Writing Tomorrow

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3060 words
Fiction

US publication
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Words from the Wise


"Thanks so much for... such a wonderful, heart-wrenching story. I'd love to run The Confession for December. Fantastic ending! I think your new ending is absolutely brilliant...one of your strengths is describing the scene, and you did it fantastically. I hope you think so too. I love the "bereft of his beloved broom." Really sticks with us and brings us back to that moment we first met Suresh. ...This will be a great piece for you to add to your online/print collection. You've got a great, well-crafted story here! It's been a privilege to work on your piece."

Miranda Kopp-Filek

Editor

Writing Tomorrow

"Our editors enjoyed your piece; we feel it demonstrates considerable merit and skill."
Michelle Chitts
Editorial Intern
Griffith Review

"Some good images here"
Chris Heavener
Editor
Annalemma

"It's a distressing story told well"
Sandra Costich
Editor
American Scholar

"You have a knack for description."
Michael Latza
Editor
Willow Review

"You write with clarity, confidence, and a style that draws a reader into the unfolding tale wanting more of what you have to deliver. As soon as Suresh is introduced, the magic begins. (It) is a good story."
Gabrielle DePlancher
Editor
Total Quality Reading

1 October 2012

7 Simple tips to maximize your earnings

If only we didn’t have to pay tax! Now that would maximise my meagre earnings as a writer by as much as 20% – a significant growth indeed. Luckily for us, though, there are some simple ways in which we can ensure that we are squeezing as much value out of the dollar as the law of the land will allow. 

1. Stay away from non-paying markets Bit obvious, really. It’s a lose-lose situation for you and a win-win situation for them, so why should you even bother with markets that cannot compensate you for your work? Forget the ‘for the love of literature’ and ‘amass glory and prestige’ rubbish. If you wanted...

Read the full article in the October 2012 issue of Freelance Writer's Report

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)


1055 words
Nonfiction

US publication

1 September 2012

Deal or no deal? (The art of negotiation - 16 Tips on how to ask for more money)

“We absolutely love your story,” said the editor.

I got a warm fuzzy feeling.

“It is charming and has a lovely ‘voice’,” he continued.

I glowed. This smelled of big bucks.

“We especially liked the vivid imagery and flawless energy of the piece.”

I preened and strutted around the room. The scent of money got a little stronger. Maybe he would give me a hundred pounds!

“You are a very talented writer, with a knack for intriguing plots.”

I sprouted wings and began to float on cloud nine. Perhaps even two hundred pounds. I was definitely beginning to taste the dough now.

“We will be delighted and honoured...

Read the full article in the Autumn 2012 issue of New Writer

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2680 words
Nonfiction

UK publication

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Words from the Wise


"I love it! It's fabulous! Excellent."
Moira Allen
Publisher
Writing World

15 June 2012

Location, location, location (Why magazine page placement matters)

Recently the editor of a popular magazine accepted one of my stories for publication. She was full of kind words about it and how much she liked it. ‘In fact, we like your story so much,’ she said, ‘that we want to put it in a more prominent position in our magazine.’

After the first flush of euphoria faded away, I got curious about this new aspect of publishing I had found out rather by accident. Was there such a thing as ‘a more prominent position’ in a magazine? Should I feel proud? Should I, perhaps, take this opportunity to ask for more money? Or should I settle for lesser payment in return for the...


Read the full article in the June 2012 issue of Children's Writer

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2185 words
Writing

US publication

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Words from the Wise



"I absolutely admit, it is an angle I have never heard nor thought of -- and a great idea."
Susan M. Tierney
Editor in Chief
Writer's Institute Publications (Children's Writer)

"This is indeed a very good article. It's well researched and the quotes really give it depth. It really is beautifully done!"
Moira Allen
Publisher
Writing World

"It sounds really interesting, and it's something all publishers know but, perhaps, not many writers. From my perspective, there are definitely more prominent positions in pretty much any publication -- whether in print or online. For instance, our features get more exposure than our departments. Some advertising spots are better than others, etc. There are actually heat maps of websites that show where the most prominent places are so you can arrange your content and advertising effectively. The same thing with graphic design and layout of any book, magazine, poster, flyer, etc. It's one of the first things they teach you in graphic design. The thing is, unless you're the publisher of the content (or the editorial director) how can you control your article's placement other than writing a darn good article?
All of us really enjoyed reading your article. Personally, I really loved how you included interviews with editors of popular publications. Impressive! It's fun to read the banter and see how they weigh in. I like how you included a little bit about the web as well.
We all adore your article. Keep up the excellent writing!
P.S. I just checked out your website and love your bio. I, too, love comics and dark chocolate!"
Angela Mackintosh
Editor
Women On Writing

1 June 2012

How to ask for more money

A bit of skilful negotiation may bring you more money. A few magazines may even expect it and advertise their pay scales accordingly. As long as you are not too pushy and know when to back down, you should try to negotiate rates whenever you can.

1. Assess the market
Try to find out what the magazine’s budgets are and where they get their funding from. Check out how big their subscriber base is. Study their advertising rates. You can ask a higher price for an article for a privately owned corporate publication catering to a niche community, than for a article that will appear in a Literature department...

Read the full article in the June 2012 issue of Freelance Writer's Report

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)






1145 words
Nonfiction

US publication

***********************

Words from the Wise


"I love it! It's fabulous!"
Moira Allen
Publisher
Writing World

15 May 2012

Google +1 (Does your business need it?)

30 March 2011 was the day the online world woke up to a new way of sharing content across the web – the Google +1 button. In a direct head-to-head with Facebook’s Like button, Google announced its +1 button would allow users to indicate their preferences on any website so their friends and contacts may see it. As a web user, you’d see your friends’ recommendations and know the product or service or content on offer was worth your while. First launched only on Google.com’s English-language search results, the +1 button was then rolled out to a select section of domains of Google’s search engines...


Read the full article in the Spring 2012 issue of Work Your Way



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800 words
Nonfiction/Corporate

UK publication

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Words from the Wise

"I do like these articles - they're so on the ball! I must say that your articles are always very well written. It is nice to be able to simply 'plonk' them in, without having to heavily edit them to make sense. It's perfect as is it."
Mary Cummings
Editor
Work Your Way

1 May 2012

An idol is forever, not just for Christmas

10th May 1979. Margaret Thatcher has just become the new prime minister of England. Pluto moves inside Neptune’s orbit for the first time ever since either planet became known to Science. The Sahara desert experiences snow for a period of thirty minutes.

In a small dusty village in the remote interiors of a large state of west India, a tall young man is anxiously pacing the floor outside his house. From time to time, he stops to glance through the open door, then resumes pacing as vigorously as ever. He is oblivious to the heat of the afternoon sun on his bare head, unaware of the scorching earth...


Read the full story in the May 2012 issue of Perceptions

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1090 words
Fiction/Drama

US publication

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Words from the Wise



"Very well written, and I liked the cycle being played out here."
Anonymous
Editor 1 (of 6)
Flashquake

"We love it."
Anonymous
Editor-in-Chief
Flashquake

"Terribly well written"
Geoffrey C Porter
Editor
Untied Shoelaces Of The Mind

"It is well-written, and the opening is particularly gripping"
Elizabeth Rosen
Essay Editor
Ducts

"I like your work."
Anthony Brown
Editor
Stickman Review

"It's a delightfully written story"
Penni Mitchell
Managing Editor
Herizons

"This is fine writing"
Valerie Polichar
Editor
Grasslimb

15 March 2012

To right a wrong

I am going to die before the night is out.

I know it. I can feel it. There is a strange stillness in the air that heralds the end of life for me. Leaves rustle without wind. Wings of birds flutter ominously as they nestle amongst each other in sleep. A dog howls at the moon, it seems to me like it is baying for the dead. And I have just broken the vow.

In the remotest interiors of India, there exists an unremarkable village. It is not very large, is near neither the highway nor the sea, has neither natural scenic beauty nor historical importance, no popular film star has made a home in it, nor is it the haunt...


Read the full story in the March 2012 issue of Big Pulp

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3500 words
Drama

US publication

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Words from the Wise



"I think your story is excellently written. I enjoyed the details of life in a remote Indian village setting, and think you have done a great job of introducing this village and its people."
David Peters
Editor
Fried Fiction

"The opening line is quite good, portending the narrator's imminent demise. And the trailing paragraph, what in the old journalism game we call 'the bridge' is fantastic, too. It is, judging from the work's opening, a good night to die."
Theodore Q. Rorschalk
Editor
Total Quality Reading

"It has an original plot line. I love the setting too, and all the great cultural details you include. You're a very talented writer with good instincts for intriguing stories."
Paula Jolin
Manuscript Reader
The Sun

"I liked a lot about this story. The setting was spot on and authentic. The plot was unique; I've never seen anything like it. The piece had entertainment value and depth, which it's often hard to find both in a story."
A. Leonard Lucas
Fiction Editor
Fender Stitch

"We think that you have a very unique voice. The beginning paragraph is pretty much perfect. We were immediately drawn in"
Anonymous
Editor
Black Fox Literary Review

"I loved the opening few paragraphs... Amusing story... and the setting/atmosphere at the Indian village is well done."
Anonymous
Manuscript Reader
Antigonish Review

"We like your writing."
Ann Rushton & Kelly Shriver
Editors
Bound Off

"We enjoyed reading it"
Paul Barrett
Managing Editor
Mary Magazine

"We enjoyed reading it"
Bill Olver
Editor
Big Pulp

1 March 2012

A Hindu god worth waiting (and waiting) for

The queues are serpentine. Everywhere the eye can see, dark heads and pale, shining pates are milling about in the crowd as people jostle for legroom and, like some covert military operation, sneakily inch forward when their neighbour isn't looking. I have wrapped a scarf around my head to protect myself from the blazing rays of the sun, but the garment is fighting a losing battle. A low hum of conversation pervades the air and cries of the sopranic “Get your laddoos here!” and the wrathful “Watch where you're going!” break the monotony.

It was 6 in the morning when I had set out for the Tirupathi...


Read the full article in the second week of March 2012 issue of Globe And Mail

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600 words
Drama

Canada publication

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Words from the Wise

"I enjoyed reading it."
Catherine Dawson-March
Deputy Travel Editor
The Globe And Mail

"It is good."
Acharya Arumuganathaswami
Managing Editor
Hinduism Today

1 February 2012

Getting the hing of it

Devil’s Dung. Not exactly the most flattering epithet for something that is eaten with such relish in parts of the world. Stinking Gum? Not much better. Food Of The Gods. Ah, now that’s more like it.

My finger runs down the definition in the guide. Asafoetida i.e. Ferula assafoetida, family Apiaceae, it says, is a species of Ferula native to Iran. It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to two metres in height, with stout, hollow, somewhat succulent stems that are five to eight centimetres in diameter at the base of the plant. The leaves are thirty to forty centimetres long, tripinnate in...


Read the full article in the February/March 2012 issue of Whole Life Times

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885 words
Humour

US publication

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Words from the Wise



"It's a very nice and interesting piece. Though I've heard of the herb, I didn't know all about it. You write very nicely."
Nicola Ross
Editor
Alternatives Journal

"You are a wonderful writer."
Elaine Gillespie
Editor
Sandlapper

"It's very good, it's got more plot than many of the stories we get in other categories... very well done."
Geoffrey C Porter
Editor
Untied Shoelaces Of The Mind

"This is a lovely piece of writing"
Tim Kroenert
Assistant Editor
Eureka Street

"Charming article. Very nice. Thank you again for your fascinating contribution to our magazine."
Abigail Lewis
Editor
Whole Life Times

"It was well-written and an enjoyable read."
Jess Wallace
Editorial Assistant
New Zealand Woman’s Weekly

"It is charming and informative."
Colleen Leonardi
Assistant Editor
Edible Columbus

"I enjoyed it very much"
Steve Ott
Editor
Kitchen Garden

"It is very well written"
Acharya Arumuganathaswami
Managing Editor
Hinduism Today

"I enjoyed reading your essay"
Leslie C. Moore
Editor
Sasee

"Interesting article"
Janet Wallace
Editor
Canadian Organic Grower