Quality
Women's Fiction - Contributors' Guidelines
Thank you for your interest in QWF. I have to point out at the outset
that reading a set of guidelines is no substitute for reading at least
one copy of the publication you wish to write for. I encourage potential
contributors to subscribe to QWF, not because I'm mercenary, but because
I feel it is the only way a writer can get a feel for the magazine and
the kind of things I enjoy reading and seeing in print. All new writers
should make an effort to support the independent press, otherwise this
ever-shrinking market for short fiction will disappear completely.
There are differing opinions on what a short story is or
should be. I am aiming to publish a predominantly literary collection,
which will appeal to the intelligent female reader. QWF isn't a traditional
'women's story magazine' like The People's Friend.
I agree with Graham Allen's opinions recently published
in an article in The New Welsh Review. The short story writer,
like any other, must have something to say. In QWF I hope that women
writers can explore issues affecting women in particular, and show how
women view the world.
The short story form is probably one of the most difficult
to master. In her introduction to a volume of prize-winning short stories,
Sarah Dunant puts it better than I ever could:
For many years as a writer I was terrified of the short
story. It seemed to me - and it still does in many ways - the toughest
of literary acts. There’s no place for the writer to hide in a short
story, no room for failure, for sloppy writing or muddled thought. For
a short story to succeed it must have everything; an arresting opening,
a strong governing idea or emotion, convincing characters, style and
a great end. In short a novel. Or rather a short novel. Very short.
As I say, a tough act. Hard to write. Easy to read. That’s another part
of the trick.
In the short story there should be an action or point of
conflict, which culminates in a moment of insight. If possible the action
should turn on specific qualities of character. I want to see character
in action. Things are so because characters are so. A good short story
writer will strengthen the narrative movement of the story by making
plot and character indivisible. Ill-drawn, hollow characters make for
an emptiness in the narrative, since the events belong to no one and
both the readers and the characters remain uninvolved. A short story
writer needs to be able to tug on the readers' emotions and appeal to
their senses.
I like a short story to have atmosphere. I want to be there;
part of the scene. I want to be able to visualise the setting and to
hear, see, and touch the things going on around me. A good writer will
always be specific when describing people, places or objects. For example,
'He was reading a newspaper.' doesn't tell us as much about the person
as 'He was reading The Guardian.' Don't just say it's a 'red
cup'. What sort of red? Deep crimson,
scarlet; there are several shades of red and I have to know to be able
to visualise this cup. 'A tomato red cup' tells the reader so much
more.
This brings me on to imagery. To effectively describe
objects etc in as much detail as possible, it helps to liken them to
other things. Incorporating imagery into one's work makes it at once
more arresting and memorable. One image, which has stayed with me since
I first read it a couple of years ago, appears in Sally Zigmond's story,
‘Dispossession’, published in QWF Issue 5. Sally was describing a couple
of Asian women walking down a suburban street and observed that, “the
bright hems of their robes peep like shy brides from under drab, shapeless
coats,”. One can visualise this so easily, and it is an image the reader
can identify with immediately.
A writer should be able to manipulate language to create
colourful, vibrant prose and not be afraid to experiment. Forget tired
old clichés; the reader wants something new. Most readers are in love
with language and want to see it used to its best possible advantage.
Who likes to see their lover dressed in shabby, worn-out clothes every
day?
A short story should have texture. As Graham Allen says,
“The meaning of a short story could be expressed in all the manifold
details of style, its imagery, symbolism - in short, its texture.”
If possible, form should reflect content. A story's structure should
reflect what it is the writer wants to say. Structure can alter a story
considerably, and again a writer shouldn't shy away from experimenting
with a variety of sentence and paragraph construction. One sentence
paragraphs, for example, can pull the reader up sharp and create such
an impact.
A good short story writer uses subtlety and doesn't feel
the need to hammer the point home. What is left out is often just as
important, if not more important, as what is included. Leave something
to the reader's imagination; credit your reader with intelligence.
Avoid the temptation of spelling everything out to the reader. A reader's
imagination will always fill in the gaps. Give your reader food for
thought. Allow her to question and ponder what you've written. A good
short story is one you're sorry to finish and one which stays with you,
always. Make it memorable. You have to hold the reader from the first
line to the last. Don't allow her attention to wander for a moment.
“To get published, you have to do what every
writer in history has done. You have to sit for thousands of hours and
hundreds of days in solitude. You have to read and write on a daily
basis. You have to be utterly vulnerable on the page, and utterly
ruthless in revision. To write something good, you have to want
it so bad that nothing else matters.”
-
Chris Offutt interviewed in Writers Ask published by Glimmer Train
Press, Inc (www.glimmertrain.com)
“A literary short
story should have emotional depth and a level of truth reached. It contains,
for example, astute observations about the emotional complexity of life,
which we immediately recognise, and in recognising them, we become more
involved with a character and gain insight into their life.”
-
Sue Lowings, 1999
TECHNICAL STUFF
Ø
Word count
Up to 4,500 for stories, up to 1,000 for
articles/reviews
Ø
Submission times
September to May
Ø
Payment
£10 voucher per story, £5 voucher per article
or review (on publication)
Ø
Manuscripts
must be double spaced
black ink on white paper
printed on one side only
don’t use faded ink cartridge or typewriter
ribbon
12pt or 14pt font (Arial or Times New Roman)
pages must be numbered and feature title
of story and author’s name
stapled at top left
cover sheet with title of story, word count,
author’s name, address, email and phone number
authors must state whether First British
Serial Rights are offered
covering letter (be brief – don’t want CV
or synopsis)
MSS must be mailed flat, using a large envelope
Don’t use Recorded Delivery
Don’t use folders, dressmaker pins, pieces
of cardboard, reels of tape
Always include a large SAE with correct postage
for return of MS
Don’t send submissions via email
Ø
Multiple submissions
No thank you! One story at a time!
Ø
Turnaround time
Usually a month, up to 6 months if workload
is heavy
Ø
Rejection
Authors will receive feedback
Don’t resubmit a story if it’s been rejected
Ø
Acceptance
If your story is accepted for publication,
it will be put on file for up to 18 months
If accepted, please send in story on formatted
disk or as an email attachment
Please provide a suitable envelope if you
want your disk returned
Please provide a biographical note
Don't be too disheartened if you receive a rejection.
Remember I accept very few stories per year in relation to the number
sent in. Keep trying to improve your work; read, read, read and practise
your craft everyday.
THE PHILLIP GOOD MEMORIAL PRIZE
QWF runs one short story competition per year, closing on 21st
August, with at least £500 cash prizes. We also offer an optional critique
(not just tick boxes, but a full A4 page of in-depth notes and comments)
on competition entries written by published writers). The winning stories
in the competition are published in QWF.
I'm only too happy to chat to aspiring writers and give them as much
help as possible. Please note that the address for QWF has changed.
We are now based in Rugby. You may also be interested in joining our
lively email discussion forum (QWFF@yahoogroups.com)
– a great place to network with other women writers. If so, please send
your email address to Jo Good.
Good luck with your writing.
Jo Good
QWF
PO Box 1768
Rugby
CV21 4ZA
Tel: 01788 334302 Fax: 01788 334702
Email: jo@qwfmagazine.co.uk Website: http://www.qwfmagazine.co.uk
