Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

EP 306 - Finding Markets for Short Fiction with Angelique Fawns

May 25, 2023

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Mark interviews Angelique Fawns about her writing as well as the intel she provides on short fiction markets for other writers.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word about this episode's sponsor.

You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

During their discussion, Mark and Angelique talk about:

Angelique's background in freelance writing, journalism and her 25 years working in corporate television
What Global TV is, for the benefit of non-Canadians
Her preference for not having to be constrained by the truth, which led to her passion for fiction over non-fiction/journalism
Some of the logistics of doing promotional short videos for Global TV
The silver lining of shattering her ankle and how it led to finally sitting down and writing fiction
Entering the fiction world in 2018 and not being able to find markets for selling short fiction
Writing in active present tense because of her background in broadcast
The work Angelique does finding and sharing information about markets for short fiction for other writers
The Guide of All Guides market listing that Angelique has published based on the research she has done
"Re-printing" her short fiction via her "Read me a Nightmare" podcast
How working with an editor (Scott from DreamForge) helped Angelique revise a good story into a great story
Balancing working a full time job, managing a farm, and having an active family life along with writing
Not buying the idea that there's no money in short fiction
The fickleness of luck in a writer's life and how the harder you work and the more lightning rods you plant, the more likely the right luck will happen
The consistent message of "I think I'm successful because I didn't give up" from many of the world's most known and successful writers
How what looks like success often doesn't show the numerous rejections and failures behind the scenes
What Angelqique would advise to writers who are frightened of rejection
A true and very cautionary tale about a writer who had impressed a series of editors and quit just when he was at the verge of that "breakthrough" submission
And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on a few of the things Angelique spoke about, as well as the way she has adapted her "day job" skills into her writing.

Links of Interest:

Angelique Fawns is a journalist and speculative fiction writer. She began her career writing articles about naked cave dwellers in Tenerife, Canary Islands, and hosting a radio show in Mooloolaba, Australia. Now she works full-time making television commercials for Global TV in Toronto. She writes fiction for fun and uses her journalism skills to promote editors, publishers and authors. She has her own podcast, Read Me A NIghtmare where she features short, dark stories and interviews creators in the industry. She lives on a farm north of the city with her husband, daughter, horses, cows, far too many cats, and a Potcake rescue dog. Her very first sale was to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. You can find her work in DreamForge, Allegory, The School Magazine, and two Third Flatiron anthologies. “The Last of the Gen Xers” is a 2022 Tangent Online Recommended Read. Her writing groups include the Wulf Pack and The Dreamcasters.

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0