Category: news

Castle’s debut novel ‘Girl Island’ is now available to all Prime members for free

Self-published author Kate Castle has done it again! When we got our hands on her debut novel ‘Girl Island’ in July this year (read our review here), we instantly knew she would be one to watch.

Not only did she win two Goldie Awards at the Golden Crown Literary Society Awards (Best Debut Novel and Best YA Fiction), but her book has recently been selected to feature on Amazon’s ‘Prime Reading Program’, allowing Prime members to gain access to a rotating selection of free e-books, magazines, comics, short reads and audiobooks for free.

We’d like to congratulate Kate on her latest achievement and we are delighted a lot more readers will have the opportunity to read this award-winning, edge of your seat novel.

A space for writers to pitch their books to the public

Only four months after we launched our website, the response from self-published authors has been great and we are very grateful to all those who’ve trusted us with their work so far.

This has given us the motivation and drive to become bigger and better, and offer more space to more authors. But how?

After several brainstorming sessions, we are delighted to announce the launch of our new ‘Promotion’ Page, a whiteboard for writers to pitch their work to the public.

HOW IT WORKS

Interested authors should get in touch at notforvanity@gmail.com and supply the following 6 items:

1. Book title;
2. Book Cover: a high-res pic of the book cover; 
3. Synopsis: make it brief, make it great, make it sparkle, make it yours but most of all, make sure it’s brand new (not published elsewhere);
4. USPs: what your UPSs (unique selling points) are and why readers should pick your book over someone else’s;
5. Bio: a few lines about yourself and
6. Contact Details: website/Twitter/Facebook/Instagram handle, so people can make contact and follow you.

We will then work with each author to fine tune their submission (if required), post the pitch on our website and promote the book on our Instagram & Twitter accounts through a bespoke post.

Would you like to take part? We are now open for submissions and have promotional slots available as early as Friday, 9th December. Seize the moment, don’t miss the opportunity to be part of the newest, freshest #selfpromotionfriday!

Ella & Alex

Our periodical overview of online magazines & publications accepting submissions

# 1: BABY TEETH JOURNAL | Deadline 21st November 2022

• Submission Type: Almost every artistic medium
• Submission Guidelines: https://www.babyteethjournal.com/submission-guidelines

# 2: THE PLAZA PRIZES | Deadline 30th November 2022

• Submission Type: sudden fiction (entry fee: £14)
• Submission Guideline: https://theplazaprizes.com/competition/sudden-fiction/

# 3: THE PLAZA PRIZES | Deadline 30th November 2022

• Submission Type: short story (entry fee: £16)
• Submission Guideline: https://theplazaprizes.com/competition/short-story/

# 4: CC:ZINE | Deadline 1st December 2022

• Submission Type: Any and all form of literary art
• Submission Guidelines: https://linktr.ee/cczine

Note to the above: to access the submissions page you’ll be required to log in with an email address

# 5: QUERENCIA PRESS | Deadline 1st December 2022

• Submission Type: poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction and hybrid
• Submission Guidelines: https://www.querenciapress.com/submit

# 6: THE PLAZA PRIZES | Deadline 31st December 2022

• Submission Type: crime: first chapters (entry fee: £20)
• Submission Guideline: https://theplazaprizes.com/competition/crime-masterpiece/

# 7: PAPERS PUBLISHING | No Deadline, by-weekly publication

• Submission Type: poetry, creative non-fiction, fiction, prose, short stories, flash fiction, LGBTQ&BIPOC voices 
• Submission Guideline: https://www.paperspublishing.com/submit

# 8: INK, SWEAT AND TEARS | No Deadline

• Submission Type: 4-6 pieces of poetry, 1-2 short prose/flash fiction
• Submission Guidelines: https://inksweatandtears.co.uk/submissions/

The biggest challenge of being self-published is the lack of visibility and free promotion opportunities. So why not try your hand with small lit magazines? Here’s six that have just opened their submission slots!

# 1: QUERENCIA PRESS | Deadline 15th August 2022

• Submission Type: Chapbooks, full length manuscripts as well as single pieces
• Submission Guidelines: www.querenciapress.com/submit

# 2: GHOST ORCHID PRESS | Deadline 31st August 2022

• Submission Type: Novels and novellas
• Submission Guidelines: www.ghostorchidpress.com/submission-calls

# 3: CAPSULE STORIES | Deadline 20th September 2022

• Submission Type: Stories, poems and essays on the theme of ‘hibernation’ 
• Submission Guidelines: http://capsulestories.com/submissions/

# 4: MOSS PUPPY MAGAZINE | Deadline 1st October 2022

• Submission Type: Poetry, prose, art on the theme of ‘blades’
• Submission Guidelines: https://mosspuppymag.wixsite.com/home/submissions

# 5: OUTCAST PRESS | Deadline 1st December 2022

• Submission Type: Diner crime/Noir/Neo-noir/Transgressive short stories
• Submission Guidelines: www.outcast-press.com/copy-of-about

# 6: FRESHWATER LITERARY JOURNAL | Deadline 15th February 2023

• Submission Type: Poetry, essay, creative non-fiction and short stories
• Submission Guidelines: https://asnuntuck.edu/about/community-engagement/freshwater-literary-journal/

Best of luck! Do let us know if you took part and, of course, if you’ve been selected!