WRITERS’ NEWS
http://www.writers-online.co.uk MARCH 2020^91Catholic tastes
ONLINE NON-FICTION MARKET
Gary DalkinAleteia is a France-based news and current affairs website
with a Catholic perspective, publishing in English, French,
Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Polish and Slovenian. It
provides both general and religious content, having 600,000
subscribers to its newsletter and more than 3.3 million fans on
Facebook, with 13 million unique visitors each month online.
As a result it is able to pay rates of around 20¢ per word for
content in the following categories: world news, inspiring
stories, lifestyle, spirituality, art & culture, travel, ‘for her’,
church issues, and ‘voices & views’. Content is a mixture of
straight news reports, advice features and opinion/think pieces
addressing moral/ethical/spiritual issues.
Aleteia often covers stories overlooked elsewhere in the
media, for example, the beheading of eleven Christians in
Nigeria just before Christmas. Other recent stories have ranged
from the discovery of a 1500-year-old underground Byzantine
church in Turkey to why women shouldn’t be ashamed of
‘pregnancy brain’, to the exploitative nature of payday loans
and a report on the treatment of workers in the international
garment industry.
Do not send a complete story, but if you are interested in
writing for Aleteia email a pitch to the editors at editorial_en@
aleteia.org. Outline your idea, explain why it would be relevant
to readers of the site, and mention any reasons why you are
particularly qualified to write on your chosen topic. If possible
provide links to one or two pieces of your writing available
online. Read a selection of content first at https://aleteia.org/
category/news/ to get an idea for the sort of stories required.December saw the first full reproduction of JM Barrie’s Peter Pan and
Wendy, the original manuscript of Peter Pan. Editor Jessica Nelson says
that Barrie’s previously unpublished version of the story presents Peter as
a darker character than in the 1911 book. She draws a comparison with
the first draft of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, noting how, ‘The creature
in the manuscript was darker, with less human qualities.’ Peter is now
revealed to be more selfish, egotistical and fierce.
Unfortunately for readers with average bank balances, the new
volume, published by SP Books, is limited to 1,000 numbered copies,
selling at £140. Great Ormond Street Hospital, which owns the
copyright on the book, will receive profits.A DARKER PAN
SET OUT ON A
WRITING ADVENTURE
The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize offers £15,000 for best
published novel and a publishing deal for best unpublished novel.
All entries for The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize should be
page-turning fiction that takes the reader on an epic journey exploring
new geographical or historical horizons, and includes themes of courage,
resourcefulness and endurance.- The £15,000 best published novel award is for the best adventure
novel published by any writer writing in English between 1 May 2019
and 30 April 2020. Entries may be submitted by agents, publishers
and writers. - The best unpublished novel award, designed to launch the careers of
aspiring adventure writers, is for commercially viable narrative adventure
fiction of a minimum 50,000 words. The winner be offered a publishing
contract with Bonnier Books UK. Up to six shortlisted writers will be
offered a manuscript consultancy with literary consultant David Llewelyn.
Authors entering this category must be unpublished and unagented. Self-
published writers may enter. There is an entry fee of £20.
The closing date is 2 March.
Website: http://www.wilbur-niso-smithfoundation.org
Explore and expand
The White Review 2020 Short Story Prize is inviting entries.
The first prize is £2,500 in the competition for emerging
writers.
The annual White Review Short Story Prize is given for literary
short fiction by writers who have yet to secure a publishing
deal. The prize is sponsored by the Jerwood Foundation. This
year’s prize will be judged by Omar Robert Hamilton, Kishani
Widyatratna and Sophie Scard.
The judges are looking for fiction that explores and expands
the possibilities of the short story form. There are no restrictions
on form or genre. The winning story will be published in the
quarterly print journal of The White Review and the shortlisted
stories will be published online.
To enter, send original, unpublished short fiction between 2,000
and 7,000 words. The competition is open to unpublished writers
living in the UK and Ireland.
There is an entry fee of £15. Writers may submit one story only.
Fifty free entries are available to low-income writers.
The closing date is 27 February.
Website: http://www.thewhitereview.org