Christopher Fielden Newsletter

Sarah E
I love the welcome wave - thanks for the Cheers my Dears. All reciprocated from here.

Chris Fielden
Great stuff, thanks Sarah :-)

Sarah E
More waves, wags and cheers my dears :)

Linda P
Thank you for the add.

Chris Fielden
No problem, thanks Linda :-)

Rex G
The humour in this for me will be if I live long enough to receive my book after it's been to Hull and Back. In the year 2018 I shall be ninety years of age.

Looking forward to the best laugh of my life. Take care.

Chris Fielden
Well, they say laughter helps you live longer, Rex. It's been scientifically proven. So maybe the book will help :-)

I hope you have many more birthdays - I'll look forward to you sharing your card from the queen with me in 2028.

Ssebadduka MV
My name crystal-clearly shows how Ugandan I am and I can not be sure there is a light ahead for me around here. Nevertheless I would very warmly embrace any opportunity to let the world see Shakespeare's prodigal (black) son!

It is 10:08 in Uganda, so good morning.

Chris Fielden
Good morning to you too, Ssebadduka!

Thanks for signing up to my emails :-)

Bryan S
Seems like some potentially useful stuff which I intend to explore - likely to be in touch again soon.

Chris Fielden
Great stuff, thanks for signing up Bryan :-)

Barbara M
Thank you for adding me.

Chris Fielden
No problem, Barbara - thank you for subscribing :-)

K S Sivan P
Thank you for including my name in the mailing list.

Chris Fielden
No problem, KS - thank you for subscribing :-)

Janina AK
Hallo Chris, I'm a little bit blown away by how much you've put into this site - it's been so inspiring & helpful - thank you for all the work you put into it - much appreciated.

Chris Fielden
No problem, Janina.

Thanks very much for letting me know you found the site useful - feedback like that makes it all worthwhile :-)

Meher H
Hello Chris, thanks for including me. I've benefited immensely from your website.

Chris Fielden
No problem, Meher. Glad to hear you like the site :-)

Marion R
From what I've seen so far I can already tell that this website will be a great help to me as I try to end my career as a high school student and begin a career as a writer, thank you for making these resources available.

Chris Fielden
Thanks, Marion - it's always nice to hear that people find the site useful.

I wish you the best of luck with your career as a writer :-)

George KN
The world is growing in greatness. I'm pleased to be part of this prestigious platform - to learn and increase my knowledge.

Chris Fielden
Thanks for signing up, George. I'm glad to have you on board :-)

Mahmudur R
Hi, with even meagre budgets I can't do the visual, but here's a wave back.

What I really liked about your site is that it doesn't seek to sell, prod - yes, provoke - yes, but no compulsion. There are quite a few areas of interest and I'm sure you'll here more from me.

Chris Fielden
Thanks for signing up, Mahmudur - much appreciated.

And thanks for your kind words about the site :-)

Fay F
Hello! Thanks for adding me, I'm looking forward to reading and writing 81-word stories.

Chris Fielden
No problem, Fay. Thanks for signing up.

I'll look forward to reading your 81 word story :-)

LC Van S
Will I love joining this?

Chris Fielden
I sincerely hope so :-)

Gabe F
Many thanks for the great job you have been doing.

Chris Fielden
No problem, thanks Gabe :-)

Sadia S
Asalam-o-Alqum. How are you sir?

I am interesting in writing stories in the traditional way of Pakistan, but not interested in money or prizes. I love to write.

I have no any idea about rubrics of writing stories for you or internationally, but I am requesting you to please publish my stories on your site. I hope you understand what I mean to say.

Jazakullah and thank.

Chris Fielden
Hi Sadia. Thanks for signing up to my email list.

I'm afraid I don't publish stories on this site unless they fit the requirements for my submission guidelines. You can review them here.

I also publish flash fiction stories through the writing challenges I run. You could write a story for one of those if you like. You can learn about them here.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

The G
What a brilliant website. Well done, Chris. Only problem is I won't get any scribbling done as there's so much to discover on your site. Cheers.

Chris Fielden
Thanks, The G. Sorry to hinder your scribbling, but hopefully all the website content will inspire lots more :-)

Margee U
This is a great site! Love it!

Chris Fielden
Thanks, Margee, glad to hear you like the site :-)

Bruce W
Well, this should be interesting. Like a verbal Rubick's cube.Will start moving the squares soon.

Chris Fielden
Great, thanks for signing up Bruce :-)

Wendy A
Chris, I'm from Los Angeles, California, USA. Without the 'Inter-Web' I never would have found your clever and informative site. Also, I love the British use 'whilst', something you don't hear here. It saves several writing extra words like 'while I was...' for example, how efficient. Thank you! Love the wave too - I've made TENS of dollars writing, so I understand the colossal budgets.

Chris Fielden
Hi Wendy. Ah, a fine location. I lived in LA for a couple of years, between 2000 and 2002. A lovely place. I still visit friends there when I can - it feels like a second home and I'm very fond of it.

TENS of dollars? You are obviously highly successful - congratulations! Many writers manage minus-thousands of dollars, so you're doing fabulously :-)

Anyway. Thanks for signing up - much appreciated.

Wendy A
Chris, give us a shout next time you’re in the neighborhood. Always looking to expand my writing circle!

Chris Fielden
Will do Wendy :-)

Balwant S
I like the way information is made available.

Read your message to Rex G who said he would be 90. It was as charming as Miranda in Shakespeare's The Tempest (or as intelligent as Portia in The Merchant of Venice.)

In 2028, I myself will be nearing 90 and, thanks to you, through reading your web- pages, will live this decade smilefully.

With love and deep gratitude.

Chris Fielden
Thanks, Balwant. Very happy to hear you like the information and style of the website.

And thanks for signing up :-)

Herbert H
I write poetical parodies and satires. Much of it is in standard sonnet format. I have enough material to fill 8-10 large volumes if published. I have entered many poetry writing contests and have heard nothing back as to my results. Or do they think that humor does not sell?

Chris Fielden
Hi Herbert. I'm afraid I'm not a poet, so don't have any experience of submitting poems to publishers.

You could consider having your work critiqued, so you gain some expert feedback about your work. My critique team includes poetry experts. You can learn about that here. Some competitions offer critiques at reasonable rates when you submit, so you could try that too.

Aside from that, I would recommend careful market research. Read back issues of competition anthologies and magazines you submit to, to see if your style fits. That can help your publishing success rate - it's something a lot of writers don't bother with, so puts you ahead of a lot of the competition.

I hope that's useful and wish you the best of luck with your writing.

Sue C
Thank you for the wave!

Chris Fielden
You are most welcome Sue!

Narsing N
Thanks for the information I collected from your website. Let's see whether I win any literary prizes in the future, writing in English. I have won some prizes, but writing in the 'Nepali' (Gurkha) language only. If I win, I'll inform you.

Chris Fielden
Good luck, Narsing - I'll hope to hear from you again, when you are published in English!

Michael M
Hi Chris. Nice to join up. Live in Ireland and do a bit of scribbling... especially short stories. Published a collection of them in a limited amount a couple of years back entitled 'Called the the Bar... Amongst Other Places'. Hope to reprint to a hopefully wider audience eventually.

Cheers from Ireland, Mick

Chris Fielden
Thanks for signing up, Mick.

And good luck with the reprints and sales!

David M
Hi, looking forward to gleaning lots of useful stuff. Just submitted to 81 words, great fun.

Chris Fielden
Thanks for signing up, David. And thanks for submitting too :-)

Elizabeth T
Glad to finally attempt to do something with my small amount of talent in writing, which I want to improve. Do the competitions/events have certain themes? (Something sad, happy, fantasy, non-fantasy, etc.)

Chris Fielden
Hi Elizabeth. Thanks for signing up :-)

Some of the competitions listed on the site are themed, some are open to any style or genre. You will need to check the submission guidelines for each contest before entering.

The challenges and the competition I run on this website are all themed, so check out the rules for each one before submitting.

I wish you the best of luck with your writing.

Nicola S
I'm looking forward to your newsletters. I was a Fielden before I was married so big up the extended family.

Chris Fielden
Excellent, thanks for signing up, Nicola. Ooo, Fielden's are quite rare. I wonder if we're related?

Gautam B
Hello, Chris, thanks for including me.

Chris Fielden
No problem, thanks Gautam :-)

Nicola S
Our lot originally from Todmorden...

Chris Fielden
Mine originally from Halifax (my great grandfather and grandmother).

Apparently there was a falling out some generations ago and the Halifax Fieldens separated from the Todmorden Fieldens.

We all relate back to Sir Joshua Fielden. My father has done some research…!

Sue M
Hi Chris, love the wave. Thanks for the add. I'm a Pom who relocated to Queensland 20 yrs ago. Now retired from teaching primary school, I'm looking to spend more time writing, especially short stories & poetry.

Your site is inspirational.

Chris Fielden
Thanks very much, Sue - great to have you on board!

Really glad you find the site inspirational. I wish you the best of luck with your writing :-)

Dave S
I am subscribing to this, mate, because it stood out online as one of the more inspiring websites re writing. Some of the others were a little precious. Cheers.

Chris Fielden
Great stuff, thanks for signing up, Dave - much appreciated.

Teresa S
This website is a fantastic resource for all things writing related. Thank you so much!

Chris Fielden
No problem, Teresa! And thanks for signing up to the mailing list - much appreciated :-)

D.G. K
Thanks, Chris. Waving back! :)

Chris Fielden
Thank you!

Michael B
Wow! Been looking for a website like this for about a million years and then I find it by accident. Thanks, Chris, can't wait to like read every inch of it.

Chris Fielden
Thanks, Michael, I hope you enjoy the rest of the site :-)

Tom K
Dear Sir, New Year greetings to you.

I liked your welcome waves. Great. That made me feel a home with you. I'd like to ask you for some information. Do you conduct Flash Story competitions, please? I am interested in participating in flash story competitions (upto 1,000 words) free of fee. I am just a beginner in short story writing and I have to learn how to go about this. Thank you.

Chris Fielden
Hi Tom. Thanks for signing up and Happy New Year to you too :-)

I list lots of flash fiction competitions on my site, some of which have free entry.

I also run some flash fiction writing challenges on my website, which guarantee publication. You can see those here.

Good luck with your writing.

Tom K
Thanks, I'll check it out!

Yvonne W
Thanks for the friendly greeting Chris.  Doesn't your arm get tired after a while?   Cheers from Down Under.

Chris Fielden
No problem, Yvonne, thanks for signing up :)

My arm does get a bit tired, but I'm like Popeye now - one massive arm and a taste for spinach!

Yvonne W
Great - after all,  "You yam what you yam."

Chris Fielden
LOL, very true :-)

Anne B
Congrats on your interesting website and thanks for all the info!

Chris Fielden
No problem, thanks Anne :-)

Jorine N
Thank you for the add.

Chris Fielden
No problem, thank you for signing up :-)

Ann T
Thanks for adding me to your list.

Chris Fielden
No problem, thanks Ann :-)

Sithy H
What an absolutely fun site for writers. It's inspired me to lighten up and not get too serious about myself . Thank you.

Chris Fielden
No problem, Sithy. It's great to hear you find the site inspiring. I wish you the best of luck with your writing :-)

Guy S
My sister recalls my time at school and some of my stories. It is she who has prompted me to once again put pen to paper, or rather fingers to keyboard. Hopefully over the coming weeks/months I'll produce something worthy of her faith in me. I'm now sixty eight, it's been a while, so please don't hold your breath!

It is also my sister who introduced me to your site. Thank you, Tanya.

Chris Fielden
That's great, Guy, thank you for signing up.

I wish you the best of luck with your writing.

Ellen B
How can I send you my short story for a free critique?

Chris Fielden
Hi Ellen. Thanks for your message. I don't undertake free critiques, I'm afraid. I have a paid critique service, which you can learn about here.

If you are looking to get involved in online writing communities that do offer free critiques, you can learn how to do so here.

I hope that's helpful and wish you the best of luck with your writing.

Madhu M
Much gratitude... and appreciation for the cheerful cheer... dear

Chris Fielden
No problem, Madhu :-) Thank you for signing up.

Madhu M
Three Cheers!!!

Nilarka P
I want to participate in story writing contests.

Chris Fielden
Hi Nilarka, thanks for signing up to my email list.

You can find details of hundreds of writing contests here.

I wish you the best of luck with your writing :-)

Josephine K
Thanks for including me. I am looking to enter a short story contest if only to gauge my capacity. I am happy to get any information that will help me. Writing is a passion for me. I am a trained journalist but after years in management I don't do much writing and I want this to end. ).

Chris Fielden
No problem, Josephine, thanks for signing up.

Try this page on my site. There are hundreds of competitions and other publishing opportunities listed in the resources on that page. I hope that's helpful :-)

Edward M
Hello Christopher. I'm writing from the U.S. I write poetry. I've been told that poetry is MUCH more popular in the U.K. and  Europe than here in the U.S. (It's not very popular at all here.) Do you agree that the market is stronger there?? If so,  how can I get my work seen there??? I've had two books independently published. Can I send them to you??? You might have a feel about their acceptance there? Thanks, Ed

Chris Fielden
Hi Ed. Thanks for your message. I'm not a poet, so I'm not the best person to ask... However, there are a lot of opportunities for poetry in the UK and it does seem to be popular.

You can find details of poetry contest opportunities here. If you look at the 'Other Poetry Competition Lists' section at the bottom of that page, you will find links to websites that focus on poetry, so they might be able to help you more.

There are also 2 useful books published in the UK that contain details about our publishing industry, including poetry publishers. They are the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook and the Mslexia Indie Publishing Guide. I'd recommend starting with those.

I hope that's helpful and wish you the best of luck with finding a home for your books.

Edward M
Thank you Chris!!!

Chris Fielden
You’re welcome :)

Glo C
Thank you for adding me Chris, so glad I found your website. I am now working my way through the pages and hope to complete more challenges in the near future.

Chris Fielden
Great stuff, thanks Glo :-)

Mary J
I am about to begin an MPhil in creative writing. I think I will be using your resources a lot in the next two years, thank you. MJ.

Chris Fielden
No problem, thanks Mary. I wish you the best of luck with your studies :-)

Don M
I want to become a better writer and photographer.

Chris Fielden
Hi Don. Thanks for your message.

I can't help with the photography I'm afraid, but you could try my free writing course. If that's of interest you can learn more here :-)

Barbara P
I'm a conservation nut. Took pages and pages to download your To Hull and Back info, rules, terms, etc., etc. Perhaps it could be condensed into one area easily downloaded???

Chris Fielden
Thanks for the suggestion, Barbara, much appreciated. It's a good idea. I shall add it to my rather lengthy 'to do' list :)

Kenny RW
Thank you for your kind service, Christopher. Very happy to be here learning what you can impart.

Chris Fielden
Thanks Kenny, very much appreciated :-)

Mrs Priya G
My son wants to join a story writing competition. He is 7 years old. Where do I start?

Chris Fielden
Hi Priya. Thank you for your message.

I list a lot of opportunities for young writers here. I also run a challenge for young writers myself.

I hope that's helpful and I wish your son the very best of luck with his writing :-)

Priscilla
Am glad to be a part! Thanks for that sweet welcome :)

Chris Fielden
No problem, thanks Priscilla :-)

Susan C
Thanks for the add! I had a brief look around and it looks great!

Chris Fielden
No problem, Susan, thanks for signing up. Great to hear you like the look of the site too, thank you :-)

Aninda M
Can I submit a short story written by me?

Chris Fielden
Thank you for your message, Aninda.

I run a short story competition, and you'd be welcome to submit to that. You can learn how to submit here. I also run some writing challenges. You can learn how to submit to those here. I also list hundreds of other publishing opportunities in the 'Advice' section of my website.

I hope that answers your question, but if not, please let me know :-)

Roger-Hugh T
Glad to be on board...

Chris Fielden
Great stuff, thanks Roger :-)

Shadman S
Dear Chris. Thank you for the add. I would be grateful to receive a guide about short story critique groups that I'd be able to join. I want tp learn from others about my fiction or nonfiction.

Chris Fielden
Hi Shadman. No problem, thank you for signing up :-)

There are a lot of online writing groups and writing communities that you can investigate joining. Many offer critiques and feedback but would expect you to give critiques in return.

I have a couple of resources on my site that might be useful. The first lists writing groups and the second lists online platforms that offer critiques.

I would also recommend researching local groups in your home country. Face to face writing groups can be very supportive. I'm in a couple in the UK and have found them very beneficial to be a part of.

I hope that's helpful and I wish you the very best of luck with your writing :-)

Clare CBJ
Dear Chris, you give a very warm welcome, thank you. Your name is mentioned from time to time at our small writing group here in Somerset. One of our members, who is extremely happy at the moment as you have included her in the 81 Words Anthology, did introduce us to your website when we first started four years ago. Time is limited for my writing, but I hope to involve myself in your program next year.

Thank you, Clare.

Chris Fielden
No problem, Clare, thank you for signing up. Glad to hear I've published one of your group, that's great. There are other challenges open on my site if any of the rest of the group would like to submit. I'll look forward to hearing more from you in the New Year :) All the best.

Shanne W
Hi, I would like to submit my story to the sensory challenge. Where do I send it to, must my bio be a separate attachment and can I use an Instagram handle instead of Facebook or Twitter?

Thanks for the wonderful free course, I really enjoyed it.

Chris Fielden
Hi Shanne, thanks for your message. Glad to hear you enjoyed the course :)

You can find all the rules on how to submit here. You can just send your submission by email. Bio can be in the email, attached as a separate document, with your story - whatever is easiest. And yes, Instagram is fine :)

Aisha A
Thanks for publishing my story. When will I know if my story is selected for the upcoming book and when will be published so that I can order from Amazon? I am planning to start a full time short story course and how it will shape in future after looking at my story for sensory challenge. A feedback will be much helpful. Please do let me know.

Chris Fielden
Hi Aisha. Thank you for your message.

Every story submitted to the sensory challenge is published in the book, so your story will be included. I don't know when the book will be published yet. We don't decide on that until we have received all the stories. Because we still need another 154 stories, it is likely to be a while - probably at least a year, maybe more. But the book will be published at some point, and I will contact all the contributing authors when it happens :)

Good luck with your course.

Dee L
I don't know why I didn't sign up sooner! Thanks for all you do, Chris! Blessings, Dee

Chris Fielden
No problem at all, thanks for signing up Dee :)

Patrick G
A big wave back to you!

I am about to publish a first book of religious/secular poetry. I won't have a website or marketing budget and wonder if there is a contest that might serve as a kick-off strategy or substitute marketing launch to start things.

Chris Fielden
Thanks for signing up (and the wave) Patrick - much appreciated :)

I list a lot of poetry competitions on the site, so you can see if there's something suitable for your writing there. Here is the link.

However, I'm afraid there is no replacement for marketing a book. While being placed in a competition can help you gain exposure, you still have to do everything you can to sell your books. If you don't, you won't sell many / any copies. The way I view it is that writing the book and publishing it is about 10% of the job. The other 90% is the ongoing marketing.

I hope that helps and wish you the very best with your publication.

Patrick G
Thanks for the dose of reality.

Chris Fielden
No problem :-)

Vamsi MP
Thanks for including me. It seems there is a lot of exciting and edifying stuff that can keep me engaged for the time to come.

Chris Fielden
No problem, Vamsi - thank you for subscribing :)

Karen C
Chris, so glad I found you! Your newsletter is a smorgasbord of learning and camaraderie! Thank you for your energy!

Chris Fielden
No problem at all, Karen :) Thank you for signing up, it's very much appreciated.

Kate R
Super website full of  useful information. Thank you.

Chris Fielden
Thanks for signing up Kate, much appreciated :)

Rajagopal K
Dear Sir, in my opinion you should not allow contest organisers who bar some poets from participating in their contests. These idiots should have the guts to give a reason rather than hide behind cowardly words.

Chris Fielden
Hi Rajagopal, Thanks for your message. Sorry to hear that.

Please let me know which contest you're referring to, then I can look into it. All the best :)

Ekin
I loved the little welcome wave. I just signed up but I really like it here.

Chris Fielden
Thanks for signing up, Ekin, much appreciated :)

Shehzad S
Hi, I was trying to check out the Writer's Forum magazine website, but it doesn't load. Is the magazine still in print? Thanks, Shehzad

Chris Fielden
Hi Shehzad, thanks for your message.

To the best of my knowledge, Writers' Forum closed earlier this year. They didn't make an announcement about it, but from everything I've seen, the magazine is no longer publishing.

You can still buy back issues from Select Magazines, so you could contact them to see if they know more :)

I hope that helps.