INTERACTION

Legend Press - call for submissions

Legend Press will be publishing the fourth in their series of short story collections at the end of March 2009 and is looking for talented, vibrant authors to submit stories for consideration.
They are calling for writers to send in their submissions by 31 October 2008.
Guidelines
• Short-story of approximately 9,000-12,000 words
• Actions/thoughts to occur/take place in a single room
• Stream-of-consciousness-style
• Non-genre-specific
• Thought-provoking and original. We want to feel moved and inspired by these stories.

• 9,000-12,000 words
• take place in a single room
• Thought-provoking and original.

First Edition magazine is a new monthly glossy solely dedicated to publishing works by new writers and authors.

Spread the Word is London’s leading Writer Development agency and we are currently recruiting a Writer Development Manager on a job share (0.5), fixed term (6 month maternity cover, beginning in July).

The Writer Development Manager role is a senior management position. You will work closely with the Director to develop and shape Spread the Word’s artistic activity and identify new ways to catalyse the development of writers.

Closing date for applications 5pm, Monday 4 May 2009

Film Story Competition
An initiative of the Brussels Film Festival in collaboration with Vlaamse Scenaristengilde.
The purpose of the Film Story Competition is to promote excellent story ideas, encourage authors, and assist them in the development of their scripts.
The two winners will receive a free place on a Script Factory course of their choice in London.
To enter, you will need to send in a film story of no more than three pages written in English, French or Dutch to the festival.1448
Deadline: June 5, 2009

Newsjack
The BBC have a new topical sketch show, and it's open to everyone to write for. Newsjack takes a comical look at the week's news stories.
The pilot airs on Thursday 4 June at 11pm on BBC Radio 7, and the series proper will begin a fortnight afterwards.
If you want to write for Newsjack, here are a few simple guidelines
* Listen to the show. It will be available on iPlayer after broadcast.
* Submit your material for each show on or before noon on Monday each week
* Be funny
The deadline for the first show is Monday 15th June at noon, and the show has been commissioned for an initial six week run.

Pocket in Seven-Book Deal for Zombies

-- Publishers Weekly, 7/9/2009 7:27:00 AM

Looking to cash in on the current craze for zombies, Anthony Ziccardi, v-p and deputy publisher of Pocket Books, has entered into a co-publishing venture with Permuted Press, best known for horror, dark fantasy and science fiction novels. The seven book deal was brokered by Marc Gerald at the Agency Group. The first title, Day By Day Armageddon, will be released in October in trade paperback with a 50,000-copy first printing. The second book in the series is slated to be released in February.

Armageddon is Permuted’s biggest seller to date, selling about 25,000 copies. Other books in the deal have sold between 10,000 and 20,000 copies. Permuted began publishing in 2004 and has used print-on-demand to manufacture its titles. 2204

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Permuted Press and expand their very successful brand.” said Ziccardi. “We feel the horror genre and zombies in particular, will be a growing category at retail. Even Hollywood seems to be focused on zombie tales and we feel that we are well positioned to capitalize on this trend.”

Former Firebrand Agents Hangs New Shingle

This article originally appeared in PW's Children's Bookshelf.

By Rachel Deahl -- Publishers Weekly, 7/31/2009 7:48:00 AM 2621
Michael Stearns, a former editor at HarperCollins Children's Books who recently left his agent position at Firebrand Literary, is starting a new endeavor called Upstart Crow Literary. Chris Richman and Danielle Chiotti, who worked with Stearns at Firebrand, are joining him in the new venture. (The company's new Web site, www.upstartcrowliterary.com, will be live soon.)

1 Fresh Blood Horror Novel Competition. U.S. paperback imprint Leisure Books, part of Dorchester Publishing, is running a contest for horror novels, either supernatural or non-supernatural, of between 80,000 and 90,000 words. To be eligible, you should not have had any fiction longer than 40,000 words published. The winner will be announced at the magazine Rue Morgue’s Festival of Fear in Toronto next year.
Closing: 30.9.09.
Prize: Publication. 2667
Entry Fee: None - free to enter.

... a science fiction contest from the magazine ScifiNow and the publisher Tor UK . It is designed to find Britain’s best new sci-fi writer. If you think you fit the bill, submit a full synopsis and the first three chapters of your unpublished novel.
Closing: 20.8.09.
Prize: Your book published by Tor in 2010.
Entry Fee: None - free to enter.

People are already buying books on their phones in large numbers. At the moment these are out of copyright classics (which are free) or copies of books for sale in bookshops. In other words publishers are selling books that are available rather than works suited to the mobile phone format.

Ether Books wants to try out the idea that although people are buying books on their phones, full-length titles are daunting and short stories and essays are a much better format for the new technology. When people read on their phones they tend to be out of the house and moving around. They want to buy works they can read for half an hour at a time while they are on the train, having a quick lunch or waiting for a meeting.