Decent UK Markets
- Thread starter Project Deadlight
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What genre are we talking about here? Specifically Spec Fic?
There's also markets like Take a Break Fiction Feast and Woman's Weekly, which are Women's magazines, but do accept quite a lot of fiction, particularly for their weekly specials.
TAB takes mild spec fic, nothing too scary, but they take ghost stories, spinetinglers, etc, and they pay VERY well (although not as much for the weekly special and I'm not sure they're using fiction in the weekly magazine anymore).
Ali
There's also markets like Take a Break Fiction Feast and Woman's Weekly, which are Women's magazines, but do accept quite a lot of fiction, particularly for their weekly specials.
TAB takes mild spec fic, nothing too scary, but they take ghost stories, spinetinglers, etc, and they pay VERY well (although not as much for the weekly special and I'm not sure they're using fiction in the weekly magazine anymore).
Ali
If you're a woman, there's Mslexia... some of their stuff pays and some doesn't, but it's clear in the submission guidelines. If you write warm fuzzily realistic stories, there's The People's Friend. Nature takes hard science fiction flash (the editor is in the UK and they'll pay you from the UK office if you live here).
There are fewer markets than the US though, especially if you're looking for spec fiction.
There are fewer markets than the US though, especially if you're looking for spec fiction.
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I think People's Friend pays a flat rate for stories (£75, I believe, although my info may not be totally up to date), so I'm not sure whether it would be counted as a Pro market. Great rate if you've got a very short story though, but from memory most of their stories tend to be longer.
It's a real shame there aren't more homegrown mags, but I guess the market for them is much lower than in the US. With the proliferation of Kindles and other e-book readers, I think it'd be a great time for a new electronic-only start-up though...
Ali
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Izz has just posted this in the W1S1 markets thread.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7175234&postcount=243
They pay in pounds!
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7175234&postcount=243
They pay in pounds!
I was thinking more on the literary side but more decent spec would be a start!
It is interesting though... I mean if you were a UK agent, are US short story credits going to mean that much to you?
It is interesting though... I mean if you were a UK agent, are US short story credits going to mean that much to you?
If you sell a story to The New Yorker, they're not going to reject it as a valid credit because it's a US market. It's a good market and you wrote in English, so it'll count.
Well duh!! But are they going to know Hayden's Ferry or West Branch or Sycamore... More UK markets are a must!
UK Markets?
http://www.EUWriter.com offers some British lit fic markets but the best source for UK markets means spending money.
Take out a subscription to the monthly 'Writing Magazine'. The magazine is now combined with 'Writer's News' so you get 2 mags for the price of one and 'Writer's News' is full of news about markets, publishers, agents in the UK. After a couple of months you will have quite a list of UK, Irish and Commonwealth markets.
http://www.EUWriter.com offers some British lit fic markets but the best source for UK markets means spending money.
Take out a subscription to the monthly 'Writing Magazine'. The magazine is now combined with 'Writer's News' so you get 2 mags for the price of one and 'Writer's News' is full of news about markets, publishers, agents in the UK. After a couple of months you will have quite a list of UK, Irish and Commonwealth markets.
The guidelines for Take a Break Fiction Feast are here:
http://womagwriter.blogspot.co.uk/2007/08/take-break-guidelines.html
http://womagwriter.blogspot.co.uk/2007/08/take-break-guidelines.html
Seriously???
Are they the last place in the world that will take a hand written manuscript???
I've just noticed, that was pretty old. 2007.
The latest comment on there about Take a Break, is that they are cutting down/stopping their fiction feature in favour of celebrity gossip.
http://womagwriter.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/take-break-revamp.html
I have no idea, I only ever read it in the Doc's waiting room, but if I come across one in the next day or two I'll flick through and see if there is any fiction in it.
The latest comment on there about Take a Break, is that they are cutting down/stopping their fiction feature in favour of celebrity gossip.
http://womagwriter.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/take-break-revamp.html
I have no idea, I only ever read it in the Doc's waiting room, but if I come across one in the next day or two I'll flick through and see if there is any fiction in it.
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As far as I know, the Womag blog is up to date. I've submitted stories to TAB recently using those details and had no problems getting rejections back (um, hooray?).
TAB still publish their Fiction Feast (roughly every month), so the guidelines are still valid for that and it's more flexible than the weekly magazine with wordcount (but I believe doesn't pay quite as well). Worth picking up a copy if you're interested in writing for the market. The stories can be pretty good.
I understand they're a pretty tough market to crack though, not surprising since they pay so well.
Ali
TAB still publish their Fiction Feast (roughly every month), so the guidelines are still valid for that and it's more flexible than the weekly magazine with wordcount (but I believe doesn't pay quite as well). Worth picking up a copy if you're interested in writing for the market. The stories can be pretty good.
I understand they're a pretty tough market to crack though, not surprising since they pay so well.
Ali
Had to laugh at this in their guidelines of what to avoid:
* anything to do with bumping off elderly elatives for the inheritance
Would that be a clue to the average age of the target market?
* anything to do with bumping off elderly elatives for the inheritance
Would that be a clue to the average age of the target market?
Not to be too sniffy, but I've been less than impressed with the quality of stories they do accept at TAB. If they are picky it isn't to do with quality, rather it's about fitting with their very specific demographic. I read a story that was three people talking about how the man never does any work in the house... the twist at the end was that he cooks the dinner.
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Maybe I was being a bit generous, but I have found the more I've read the magazine, the better I've found the stories. Whether it's because the stories are improving or I'm evolving to fit the mindset
, I'm not sure. But hell, it's less than £2, so worth a punt. And it's varied, and doesn't demand a 'RATIONAL EXPLANATION' for ghost stories.There's also My Weekly, which still publishes about 5 stories a week. Although they're only accepting stories from writers who have previously written for them before, they do still accept Pocket Novels from unknowns, so that could be a way in. Also, if you already have a bunch of publishing credits, I can't see what harm a query would do.
*sigh* There's lots of markets once you go digging, trouble is so few of them pay much more than a token rate, if they pay at all.
Oh, and I'll second pdr's rec for Writing Magazine. They also run free competitions for subscribers.
Ali
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There's also The Strand Magazine.
Major prestige to get in there, but the upper end of their "4-10 month" response time makes me hesitate to submit.
Major prestige to get in there, but the upper end of their "4-10 month" response time makes me hesitate to submit.
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