The Second of Three Big Announcements
The Inner Circle Writers’ Magazine is almost here…
I recently did a poll asking whether or not writers would be interested a monthly online magazine. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and every time I mention even the idea of it I get a similar great reaction from people.
It seems as though there is a real gap in the marketplace for something like I’m planning to put together: an e-magazine which contains the precise things writers are interested in, which gives them information that they need, which opens doors to more and more submission opportunities, which is full of exciting and insightful articles and excellent artwork, and which is available at almost no cost.
I plan to do all of the above, and charge only £2.00 a month, which is about $2.60 or thereabouts in American money. I’ll even offer a discount if people sign up for a year.
The magazine will be available through the Clarendon House website each month and will also provide space for writers to advertise their own books and websites - along with guidance on how to do so most effectively.
BUT…
I need your help.
I’m going to need the following from you in order to make this the dazzling success that I want it to be for you. I don’t think you’ll mind - read to the end and you might see just how exciting this could get for you…
Main Articles
I am going to need a lot of articles covering a range of topics.
What kinds of things? Well, here’s a list of just some ideas that might get you thinking:
Top writing tips
Advice on how to make more time for writing
How to stop procrastinating
Advice on dealing with self-doubt
Detailed analyses of successful writing
Detailed analyses of successful marketing
A range of your personal experiences and successes as a writer in your daily battle to write and/or to market your work
Some favourite reading of yours and how it has helped you
Your best advice for new writers starting out
A specialist topic that you have researched and which you want to share with others as an article
Studies of particular books or genres
…and books or films that you would recommend, particular experiences that you have had, how you solved various problems with your work in progress, tips you have picked up on formatting or editing, or anything to do with writing…and so on, covering just about anything to do with our field.
Topics are virtually limitless, as you can see. And there is almost limitless space in the magazine - being electronic, the only restrictions in size are to do with how much I think readers will want to read each month. So you can really get creative with this.
Will these articles be paid? There’s some special news on that in a moment.
Keep reading…
Short Stories
I’m going to need lots of these. I will have lots of cyberspace to fill.
I might even need (cue dramatic music) an ongoing serial or two…
Artwork
Perhaps you’re a visual artist too?
There will be plenty of space to display anything you’re ready for others to see.
Excerpts
Want to share a small to medium-sized section of a work you have written? Send it in.
Need feedback? there’ll be a special section for feedback.
Interviews
I will be looking to interview certain authors. The magazine will give me the opportunity to explore your life and work in a great deal more depth than is possible on social media. Don’t be afraid! The questions will always be sympathetic and aimed at encouraging readers to delve into your work. If you would like to be the subject of one of these in-depth interviews, please let me know.
Submission Information
I’m going to provide you with the latest hard information on where to submit your stories, updated with what’s new, what’s trending, what’s not and so on. The magazine will be a ‘one-stop shop’ for writers looking to build a career from their work.
Advertisements
Yes, I will be offering the opportunity for you to advertise your work with full and half page ads, as well as smaller classified ads, all for very reasonable prices and with special discounts and so on. As it’s an electronic mag, you’ll be able to add links too.
Analysis
I will look closely at the writing of master authors and tell you what is working and why, in enough detail for you to learn from it. You’ll get mini-classes in the methodology described in my book How Stories Really Work, as well as advice based on the work of top writers.
Tips, Advice, Hints
The magazine will be loaded with snippets of advice for you, whether you are a new writer or an established author: things to do with submitting stories, developing characters, formatting manuscripts, marketing your work - you name it and you’ll probably find something about it in each copy of the magazine.
Quizzes, Competitions, Jokes
I want you to have opportunities to win things, to gain recognition, and to have fun. You might eventually persuade me to leave out the jokes…
Cartoons and Comic Strips
I already have a comic strip Macbeth lined up.
I’m sure many of you have items of your own which you would like to appear in serialised graphic form.
Behind-the-Scenes
Wherever possible, I want to provide authors with behind-the-scenes glimpses of the whole industry connected with writing and publishing. You might be able to contribute to this too.
News
I want to include the latest news from the world of writing, which of course can be just about anything - latest releases, forthcoming books and films, interesting info about authors and much more.
BUT…
Here’s where it gets even more interesting…
At first, as the magazine gets established, it won’t be able to afford to pay for any contributions.
But - and here’s the game - if I can get it up to 1,000 subscribers, the magazine will pay for submissions after that point.
I’ll pay £100.00 for a lead story or article.
I’ll pay £50.00 for a designated secondary story or article.
And I’ll pay £10.00 for a huge slice of other contributions.
What’s more, if I can get to 2,000 subscribers, I will double all of the above and possibly go further than that.
YOU can help get more subscribers, and thus have some kind of control over how far this goes. Talking about the magazine in other groups and with friends, inviting a few interested people, will result in numbers rapidly rising - and the magic threshold being crossed all that much sooner!
For a few more details about all of this, including some special advertising discounts connected with launching the whole thing, please go to the dedicated website page that has been set up for the magazine here.
And of course you can ask me any questions, anytime, by dropping me a line at
Should you start sending in submissions right away? Yes, if you wish. But giving me a little time to set everything up and make sure that I have answered all the questions first might be best.
I very much look forward to hearing from you.
You have something special to offer the world through your writing. Yes, you. And I consider it my task and my pleasure to provide you with as many opportunities to do so as I can.