So - who HAS been published?

I have been faithfully writing this story that is in episodes and NO ONE has bothered to comment or tell me what they think of it. I don't know but they probably think that it is sssooo bad that they don't even blink it its direction or want to touch it with BARGE POLE. The story is called Beauty and the Beast

My My/ havet we got a lot of writers about. I do notice that all of these writers all write stories I write potry and so do a lot of other writers, but no one seems to want poems written aboutgeneral life. I have got six poems printed in anthologies by Remus from Peterborough and though I am not obliged to buy the book my ego overules my pocket. Where can you assuage you ego more cheaply than in a library of your own contributions to a publisher of poetry. I am just starting my life story and if I live long enough I will be calling on some of these publishers?

Yes I have been published - a chapter in a factual book on sponsorship (I wrote the bit on Sports Sponsorship) for Bloodaxe Books. Can't remember the title and can't remember how much I got for it - not a lot I suspect. Eddie Gibbons is published - buy his book off the banners on our site - and so are a number of other ABCtalers. However - and here's the good news - we do know that a number of agents are using this site as a source of discovering new writing. I hope to be able to announce names etc. shortly but be assured that this is not flannel. We have deliberately made no such claims before but I have now met a number of agents who are singing our praises. "I've looked all over the web and ABCtales is the only British site that interests me - it's got a lot of good material on it and we want to work with you to seek out new talent," is a direct quote from senior agent to us. When the talking stops with them you will be the first to know! So, keep writing, keep getting read and keep participating - you never know it could be you! Pip pip, The Chief Exec.

Well, work freelance for a local paper as a correspondent. You get paid pin money but my short paragraphs on Community News - ie what's going on round my dull village - get published from time to time. Sounds boring but it's amazing to see your name next to ANYthing. I've got a little scrap book of things like... 'It's OAP monday at the Village Barbers...' And 'At this year's autumn fayre, you can buy cakes..' ?!? blah blah. Good experience though. Also got a couple of things published in a Scottish paper that advertised here. As far as getting paid for that, well, they're supposed to send me some copies of the magazine. Ain't got them yet though! But what I REALLY want is a six (or 5, or 4, or....) figure deal for The Novel. Don't we all eh? Sarah Dobbs

I've been published in a book called "Labradors unlimited" - shame I didn't get paid! Anyone can feel free to criticise my work on ABC - Crush, Loneliness and Mermaid. I really didn't start out trying to advertise! It just happened - honest!

I've just had my first novel published in the States, and have recently sold two more to come out in 2002 (have a look at my website if you're interested....you can buy them at Amazon.co.uk :))) I'm contributing editor for a writing site in Texas (WritingNow.com) where I have articles about writing genre fiction, and I work as a freelance technical author I've also sold over 100 short stories in horror and fantasy magazines, but I like trying out new sites/new places so I'm also here at abc. And that's enough publicity for one day....now I need a cold shower Willie http://www.willie.meikle.btinternet.co.uk

Gosh! *Impressed*

I'm about to be in the december issue of writershood, a US magazine which you can see online at www.writershood.com I am vibrating with delight stevo

I've been published in a few Forward press anthologies (and will be in the forthcoming "London and the Homecounties 2002" collection) plus a few magazines. I've also had sciencey poems published in the "lighter sections" of scientific publications. My main reasons for not submitting more material are lack of postage stamps and innate cowardice. Jude

Well, I wrote a factual article about the Internet in Poland for a magazine called Tornado-Insider. This was 1999. They were asking me about becoming their Poland stringer, maybe other countries in CEE as well I guess, but in my infinite wisdom I decided to move to London instead. *sigh* On the other hand, had I not moved to London , I would probably never have found out about abctales and certainly would never have gone to any of the live events, so it cuts both ways.

Not published as yet, but I have an agent who is currently submitting my first novel to publishers, so fingers crossed. Two excerpts from my novel, Living with Legends (the quest for the Koh-i-Noor), are on abc tales and have been cherry picked/made stories of the week. They are called The Wind Horse, and Queen Victoria and the Curse of the Koh-i-Noor, if you are interested in reading them. I only hope the publishing world is as sympathetic as the ABC editors.

Sorry, i should have said "story of the day" rather than of the week - delusional self-importance yet again i'm afraid. Best of luck to you all, and keep plugging away.

Yes, have my first novel published with Jacobyte Books here in Australia - you can view it on their website - www.jacobytebooks.com - the book's called "Chasing the King", found under the paranormal section!! Wow ... and it's an Arthurian romp that is nothing like you think it is! also will be having my third novel published with Jacobyte Books in the coming months; the new one's called The Bounty Hunter (sepeculative fantasy). But I don't make a lot of money out of this, so wonder why I do it ... the love of writing keeps me going; but hell and damn, most agents and publishers are so bound up in the mainstream and conventional they are totally unable to view the truly unique and creative in novels - in my experience, and it's a long experience, publishers only want the kind of books that fit their house requirements, the mainstream acceptable pap that's pumped out week after week without end. Anything that threatens this safety net of theirs is rejected as 'not suitable for our current lists'. Or in my case 'the characters are not traditional enough'. In other words, they're terrified of anything that might rock the boat, or worse, not make them any money. So, that's my moan of the day, take care you happy lot! Spin

Just checked it out - nice site, very professional-looking. Nice cover(s) and 'blurb', too. Did you do your own, or did they do it for you (saw in the contact that they will, if necessary)? See they're closed to submissions until May though. Good luck with the book, anyway. Oh, and welcome to ABC...

Andrea, hi! and thanks for the welcome ... With Jacobyte, you can do your own cover design or you can use their artist - I used their own designers (no cost; Jacobyte's not a vanity publisher). and their paperbacks are really good too. Yes, they have masses of submissions from all over the world - I sometimes do submission readings for them, because their reputation is growning really quickly and they've been swamped over the last few months. It's very heartening to know that this line of publishing is really beginning to take off. Here is Australia, Jacobyte are moving into a sphere where they'll soon be known as well as any other conventional publisher. Is there anything like them in the UK? Spin

Yes, I've got a book out on www.e-booksonline.co.uk (well, it's coming out at the end of Feb). Same idea, they'll do the cover if necessary at no cost (although a friend did mine for me), although they like a rough idea of what you want, of course. Also a very reputable and fast-growing publisher, books come out in ebook, printed ringbound or paperback form. Also Global Publishing Bureau (www.gpb.surf1.com). I've had one out with them for about a year now and they're getting bigger by the week. Again, no cost whatsoever for the author and their dustjackets are great as well. Both very helpful and friendly companies. P'raps I'll give your one a try next time! What's the min/max word count?

thanx for the info on UK publishers, Andrea - I've been searching for one for ages and keep on failing, now I can try these ones ... i have a book that would be good for the UK market and do you think I could find one from here in OZ? der ...not sure of the word counts - but they take full length novels (don't know about novellas); mine's about 130,000 thou, i think! crappy memory for these things. Spin

Chris, Yes, I've been published. Small beer perhaps, but I was included in a short story magazine - for which I received £250 - and a poem won second prize and got published, for which I received £100, and another story was shortlisted for the Raconteur short story of the year. A now defunct magazine bought a story for another £250, and I've had factual articles on painting and art published in several magazines. Currently I have a manuscript with an agent, and I've had some prizes in competitions which do not involve publication. But the odd bit of prize money is always an encouragement. So I keep reading, can't stop writing, and will never give up! Three stories are on the ABC site, one of which was cherrypicked. How about you?

I've had a little sucess, I write for Techrepublic.com , a US based site for people in the computer industry, they pay nicely as well, $250 for 750 words $150 for 500 words as well as that I won a short story competition in 1993 and have had a few unpaid pieces bandied around various local papers. does a story of the day on this site count? if it's available for public view it must be published, so clap yourselves on the back, we're all published. Still looking for the big break.

My newest book of poetry, Life Sentences, was published in 2002 by North Country Press. My poem, “The Robert Lowell Memorial Bowling Trophy,” will appear in the Spring issue of The Antioch Review. My poems have been published in The Norton Anthology of Light Verse, Russell Baker, ed.; Yankee; The Best Magazine Poetry of 1996, Dave Perkins, ed.; Amelia; The Arvon Foundation International Poetry Anthology, Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney, eds.; The New Renaissance; Wavelength; Poetry Motel, Penumbra, Eclipse , The Hiram Poetry Review, The Raven Chronicles and The Antioch Review I am the author of the poetry chapbooks, One Horse Universe, published in 1992 by Patriot Press in Boston, Massachusetts and The Winter City: Eighteen Poems, published in 1984 by New Place Press. Writing as J. North Conway, I am the author of American Literacy: Fifty Books that Define Our Culture and Ourselves published in 1994 by William Morrow, New York; From Coup To Nuts: A Revolutionary Cookbook, (1987), Quinlan Press, Boston; and three books published by Covered Bridge Press: New England Women of Substance: Fifteen Who Made a Difference (1996); New England Visionaries: Twelve Who Changed the World (1998) and New England Shipwrecks (2000). My freelance work has appeared in a variety of magazines and journals including Yankee, Cape Cod Life, The Christian Science Monitor, The Providence Journal Sunday Magazine, The Worcester Sunday Telegram , The Old Farmer’s Almanac and The Encyclopedia of New England Culture, published by Yale University Press. And I have an agent, Edy Selman in New York City, who is representing my first two novels, "Cakewalk" and "LA DA." Good for me. Whew.

Hi, I was reading your comments on looking for UK publishers. An author friend of mine and myself have just set up a self-publishing venture called Pathfinder Paperbacks. We offer all the editorial services as well as a package for cover design and layout - you can choose one of our generic covers and have your details printed on it. We're not vanity publishers, more an authors co-operative where we've banded together to push print prices down. We work with two major UK print houses and have a thriller and a poetry anthology both coming online in the next few weeks. Check us out at http://www.pathfinder-paperbacks.com or write to me at ed@pathfinder-paperbacks.com for more details. Hope this helps. Yvonne