Publishing Trends/Calls for Submissions

Autumn has arrived, and with the changing season, it seems appropriate to look at the changes in the publishing world. Today, I’m once again focusing on trends in children’s publishing.

The middle grade and young adult fiction markets continue to be hot, but with some deviations. For years, series and trilogies captured the attention of agents and editors and still are, but stand-alone books are beginning to as well. Favorites of young readers are fantasy, science fiction, and mysteries.

Nonfiction books dealing with history, science, and biographies are becoming more popular. This trend will probably continue due to the Common Core used by teachers across the nation.

Picture books seem to be more popular, compared to the slump in the past few years. Animal stories have been a big hit in 2013.

Beginning/early readers written with humor are growing in popularity.

I enjoy staying current with the trends, not necessarily to write toward the most popular subjects, but to gain a better understanding of the publishing world.

Call for submissions for young writers:

Speak Up Press accepts writers ages 13-19 years old as well as adult. We are always looking for new and engaging works of nonfiction for young adults. (Poetry submissions are closed.) We are looking for stories about finding voice, overcoming adversity, striking out in new directions, or being creative. Contemporary stories are preferred, but historical nonfiction is also accepted. If you are querying historical nonfiction, make sure you have a fresh and engaging angle for your story. Query one page first.

Details at http://speakuppress.org/submissions/ 

Call for submissions for adult writers:

Spellbound is a quarterly fantasy magazine for children 8-12. Each issue will be published in ePub format.  This is a quarterly publication with reading periods.

Themes and Reading Periods:

Winter 2012: Rings & Other Magic Things, Reading Period: July 1 – September 30, 2012

Spring 2013: Changelings & Doppelgangers, Reading Period: October 1, 2012 – December 31, 2013

Summer 2013: Dragons, Reading Period:  January 1 – March 31, 2013

Fall 2013: Creatures of the Deep Dark Woods, Reading Period: April 1 – June 30, 2013 

We want Spellbound to introduce children to fantasy in all its wonderful forms.

Details at http://eggplantproductions.com/spellbound-magazine/

Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/

Interview/Trends/Contests

This week I had the good fortune of being interviewed by Clancy Tucker, a writer, photographer, poet, and blogger extraordinaire who lives in Australia. I discussed my journey to writing professionally for children at
http://clancytucker.blog.com/2012/08/09/10-august-2012-nancy-allen-guest-author/ Clancy’s daily blog for aspiring writers reaches readers in twelve countries.

A few times each year I like to check out the latest trends in children’s book publishing as viewed by editors and agents. Here’s what I’ve found:

The market is improving for picture books. Woohoo to that trend.

Shorter, character-driven stories are becoming popular.

Middle grade books are still strong sellers, even stronger than young adult.

Adventure and fantasy stories are on the upswing.

Paranormal and dystopian young adult stories have flooded the market so these genres are more difficult to sell.

Steampunk, fiction revolving around time-travel in the Victorian era when steam locomotives were the latest technology, is growing in popularity with teens.

Publishers are interested in realistic fiction.

As always, I’m not suggesting that anyone write with the trends as the guiding standard. Instead, focus on what inspires you, but keep up with the business side of publishing, including the trends.

Contests:
· McSweeney’s Internet Tendency has announced that it is once again column contest time, and you’re eligible if you’re writing in English, regardless of location. Even better: “We have prizes. Cash prizes. The top five selections will each receive a $500 lump sum and a one-year contract to write your column (twice a month or thereabouts) for McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. One of those five winners will win a $250 bonus voted on by our readers. We do reserve the right to choose fewer (or more) winners than our planned number of five.” Deadline: “Submissions will be accepted until Monday, August 20th at 10pm Eastern time.” No entry fee.

· The First Line First Line Contest: “To celebrate our 15th year, we’re giving you a chance to inspire the world. Send us your best (original and unpublished) starter sentences, and we’ll pick four to use for next year’s first lines. You have until August 31st to submit. The winners will receive $50 and five copies of the issue that was inspired by your first line.” No entry fee.
Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/

Publishing Trends/Calls for Submissions

In a blog or two each year, I focus on publishing trends. Onlinecolleges.org has compiled a list of trends that exist in “ghastly little numbers” and suggest that these trends need to go away because the trends are “poisoning beloved bookstores and libraries for far too long." Here’s the list:
1. Lackluster graphic novel/comic book adaptations
2. "Self-help" guides doing more harm than good
3. Bandwagon-jumping [writing to trends]
4. Self-indulgent celebrity memoirs
5. "Revolutionary" diet plans
6. Celebrity authors who just can't write
7. "Women's literature" with reductionist views of women
8. Remixing the classics
9. Assuming genre fiction has nothing to say
10. Dismissing all self-published literature
You can read the entire article at
http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.org/blog/2011/10-literary-trends-that-need-to-go-away/
What do you think? Should any of these trends go away?

Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/

Call for submissions for adult writers:
Milkweed Editions poetry prize: The Linquist & Vennum Prize for Poetry is an annual regional prize, presented in partnership by Milkweed Editions and the Lindquist & Vennum Foundation. Established in 2011 with the aim of supporting outstanding Midwestern poets and bringing their work to a national stage, the prize will award $10,000 as well as a contract for publication to the author of the winning manuscript. The winner will be selected from among five finalists by an independent judge.” NB: “Submissions for this regional prize will be accepted only from poets currently residing in the Upper Midwestern United States, defined as: North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin.”
Deadline: January 31, 2012.
Details at http://www.milkweed.org/content/view/396/72/

Call for submissions for young writers:
"Kids Count for Earthday" Earthday Haiku Contest 2012. Kids
will need to count to create their Earthday haiku and help
all of us to learn how to keep the planet clean and healthy!
The contest is open to individual students 7 -20 years old.
Deadline: March 22, 2012.
Details at http://www.planetpals.com/earthdayhaikucontest.html

Age Groups:
7-9 years old
10 -12 yrs old
13-15 yrs old
16-18 yrs old
19-20 yrs old