Meeting Minerva's messenger

There’s not much to do when you are bed-ridden with only the bed bugs and mosquitoes for company, other than to stare at the ceiling, count the cracks and calculate exactly how much time the square inch of paint will take to peel right off and fall on you. So when the doctor ordered complete bed rest for an excruciating back pain recently, this is pretty much all I did.

Of the bed bugs and mosquitoes, there’s precious little to tell. They visited me often and at all hours of day and night, the bed bugs whispering local gossip into my ears and the mosquitoes bringing tidings from far off places. The paint ...

Read the full article in the October 2013 issue of Portland Monthly


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1200 words
Humour
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"This was fun to read"

Lorna Loveless

Editor

BackHome

"Lovely story"

Nicola Ross

Editor

Alternatives

"A clever and feisty tale - and a nice reminder that we should not underestimate how clever and nimble our fellow creatures truly are."

Erica Dorpalen

for the editor

Orion

"Your story is written in an interesting style - very expressive. The unusual situation of having an owl sitting on your toilet bowl is a great image."

David Peters

Editor

Fried Fiction

"This author has a knack for dry humor layered into complex language. There are many nicely-turned phrases in this piece"

Anonymous

Manuscript Reader

Quality Fiction

"It has merit"

Veronica Ross

Manuscript Reader

Antigonish Review

"We very much enjoyed reading it"

Tim Kroenert

Associate Editor

Eureka Street

"Interesting concept, an owl in the toilet"

Anonymous

Editor (1 of 6)

Flashquake

"I enjoyed reading the opening paragraph"

Anonymous

Editor (2 of 6)

Flashquake

"There are some lovely touches about your owl companion"

David Seideman

Editor

Audubon

"It’s an interesting piece"

John Hassell

Communications Manager

Ontario Nature

"(It) proved to be enjoyable... I consider my time reading your story as time well spent. I related to the fight-for-freedom theme and the characters' parallel determinations came across as entirely believable. It held my interest. As an editor, that's the best I can hope for and I found your story a pleasant distraction from my normal work. Thank you for your story."

Troy Swauger

Editor

Outdoor California

"Thank you for sending your lovely essay. I enjoyed it immensely. I envy the editor who gets to run your piece."

Tom Dickson

Editor

Montana Outdoors

A writer bites back

So you have gone through the pains of thinking up an original ground-breaking idea, wrecked your keyboard thrashing out the story, laid waste to the Dictionary searching for the most appropriate adjectives, run Spell Check, counted words, proofread till your eyes hurt, racked your brains for an attention-grabbing title and trawled through numerous resources to find the one perfect magazine to which to submit your masterpiece. Except that they want you to do it in a certain way. ‘Please follow our Submission Guidelines outlined below,’ they announce cheerfully. You’d love to, only...

Read the full article in the October 2013 issue of Writing

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1320 words
Humour
UK publication

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Words from the Wise

"I like the work (it’s an intriguing concept and table-turner)"

Zachary Petit

Assistant Editor

Writer's Digest

"This definitely made me chuckle!"

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World

"I like this"

Jonathan Telfer

Editor

Writing Magazine

"Very clever, and I think it has potential to be a hit among writers"

Brett Popplewell

Editor

Feathertale Review

Returning to work - How to cope with a new world after a hiatus

‘I’m having a baby!’ I announced at work.

After the initial wave of congratulations had subsided, conversation turned to the inevitable question. ‘Are you planning to return to work?’ asked my colleagues, some with amusement, others in tones more anxious. ‘I don’t really know at this point,’ was my truthful answer. What I did know was that it was going to be an important, serious and potential uncomfortable choice to make, and one that could be life-changing.
 
A year later, as I neared the end of my maternity leave and the manic feeding-changing-sleeping frenzy settled into a regular and...

Read the full article in the September 2013 issue of Cairns Parenting Companion

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

1415 words
Nonfiction
Australia publication

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Words from the Wise

"I liked the piece very much"

John Feister

Editor-in-Chief

St. Anthony Messenger

"It's a great article"

Melody Tan

Associate Editor

Sign Of The Times

"That kind of article is perfect for our website"

Lydia Stone

Director Editorial Content

Together Moms

"It is well written, covers an important topic and provides helpful tips"

James D. Standish

Editor etc.

Record

"I'd love to publish this"

Sandy Pedrogao

Editor

Oh Baby!

"It looks quite interesting!"

Kristy Pillinger

Editor

Nurture Parenting

"We really like your article, and we'd love to publish it. It's an excellent article"

Jill Snider Lum

Associate Publisher

Canadian Newcomer/Settlement Roadmap

"We find your ideas and your article to be quite interesting"

Nina Kruschwitz

Managing Editor

MIT Sloan Management Review

"It contains some useful ideas"

Bill O'Sullivan

Senior Managing Editor

The Washingtonian

Love thy enemy - How your competitors can help you make money

We all can do without competition. Be it for the time of that much sought after nanny for the children, that plum freelance assignment, or that exclusive house in the highly desirable and posh neighbourhood, competition can sour things up pretty rapidly and thoroughly. As professional writers, we are particularly vulnerable to competition, which comes not just from our contemporaries but also from those who are long dead and gone but have left their lasting mark in the annals of literature.

However, did you know that your competition can actually come to your aid? Other writers help us...

Read the full article in the August 2013 issue of FellowScript

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

1520 words
Nonfiction
Canada publication

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Words from the Wise

"That's definitely a good article... The article felt richer and more detailed. I particularly liked your example of coming up with the piece on titles -- it struck me as a great example of what one can do if one thinks creatively."

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World

"My editor and I love this piece. It's a topic we haven't seen covered before. We look forward to working with you! I think this is an interest(ing) topic and one our readers probably haven't considered before. :)"

Angela Mackintosh

Editor

Women On Writing

"Our editor Joanna expressed great appreciation for your writing :)"

Bonnie Way

Editor

Fellowscript

Top 5 irritating habits of editors - And how freelance writers can handle them

On a whim they can subject us to torture of the vilest bilge. On a fancy they can deny us the pleasure of a beautiful composition. They control what comes into the market and what remains. They are the demi-gods of the publishing industry. They are, of course, the Editors.

Where would the writing world be without these paragons of the paragraph? They are the proverbial woman behind the successful man, the unsung heroes of the war of words. It takes a lot to be an editor and then some to be a great one.

Writers interact with editors on a daily basis: when querying, when speculating, when being profusely...

Read the full article in the August 2013 post of Freelance Writing

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2150 words
Humour/Writing
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"I enjoyed your article... I enjoyed reading your articles at your website which focused specifically on the freelance writer."

Brian Scott

Editor

Freelance Writing

"I thought your article had a creative approach"

Angela Mackintosh

Editor

Women On Writing