Writing from overseas.

11 posts / 0 new

Topic locked

Thu, 2001-04-26 16:10

In every book and mag with with tips on writing, I always read that one should study the market. We are then told that the best way of doing this is to go into a paper shop and browse through the magazines. This is all very well when one lives in an English speaking country. I don't.
I live in Germany and write in English. Now that the British and American soldiers have all gone home (thank God) There are very few English language mags in the shops here. This means, to study the market that might accept my short stories, I would have to take out numerous subscriptions which I can't afford. Family and friends in Britain stop sending mags after a while, and generaly send the wrong stuff anyway.
Has anyone else come across this problem, and if so what solutions have they found, if any?

Tue, 2002-02-19 21:34

egriff

THEN: I will withdraw before I take part. Hah! Cap that! egriff

Thu, 2001-04-26 18:36

Mississippi

Try learning German!

Fri, 2001-04-27 10:29

the professor o...

Having lived in Scandinavia for some six years now I've discovered that the advantages of being an English writer living in a non-English speaking country far outweigh the disadvatages. Although I'm fluent in my adopted language (Danish) I still write in English and get offered plenty of work as a translator. Regarding short English fiction: it's been a shrinking market for years and unless you can find a good German translator I suggest you stick with abc.

Fri, 2001-04-27 12:10

derydel

Mississippi - Unlike many Britains living overseas, I have taken the trouble to learn the language of my adopted home. I just don't enjoy writing in German. I am writing a novel in English, and know how to go about attempting to get it published. My problem is keeping up with what material magazines and the like are looking for. Unfortunately my German is not fluent enough to write for the German market, even if I wanted to. I think the professor is right in saying I should stick to abc. Thanks for your answers anyway.

Fri, 2001-04-27 12:25

ivoryfishbone

derydel i may be wrong but i have half a notion that the world service are keen on short literary fiction by english folk overseas ... and broadcast it ... hm ... sorry cant be more helpful ... i think that short stories are devilishly difficult to place in the uk ... there is a healthy market for magazine fiction (womens) but these are very formulaic and tricky to get the right tone with ... also (at risk of opening nasty can of worms) ... people often do not want to write this type of fiction ... you dont say what type of stuff you write ... maybe a clue about that might assist in directing advice ... some of the small mags do take fiction ...

Fri, 2001-04-27 15:25

derydel

Why is it that the people who run writing courses, such as those offered by The Writers Bureau, always reckommend starting in this field. They seem to think that writing short stories for mags is the easiest way of getting your first work published. Are they wrong?

Fri, 2001-04-27 15:51

ivoryfishbone

it's a mistake to think that writing stories for this market is easy ... it isn't ... but maybe the recommendations arise from the fact that the market is so large? ... if publication is the aim of the new writer (who is the target for writing courses i assume) then the success of the course hinges on it ... i think the fiction editor's desk at any womens mag must be piled high with unsolicited (and 90% unsuitable) stuff ... so i am not sure the advice is sound ... just a matter of there being very few alternative outlets for the short story ...

Fri, 2001-04-27 18:02

Mississippi

I withdraw from this discussion as I can see it is sensible and therefore beyond my remit as site p***taker. Humble apologies!

Sat, 2001-04-28 01:11

#10

kuriouser and k...

that's a pretty poor piss-take tho :oP

Thu, 2001-06-28 23:56

#11

Missy Pissipissi

a piss-poor piss take and no miss take.

Topic locked