Mslexia is a quarterly magazine for women who write or want to write. It can either be delivered to your door or downloaded in a digital format. There is a free trial issue online that can be downloaded, without any need to take out further subscriptions. The magazine contains interviews with high profile writers, thought provoking articles from leading experts in their fields; it investigates the challenges of 21st century publishing and an information directory listing competitions, submissions, grants, courses, events and contacts.

The magazine also accepts submissions from new and published writers, there is a whole list of topics, from feature articles, send in a 200 word proposal and a brief c.v. they are looking for input from writing groups, how you run your meetings in 200 words. They want input from reading groups asking your group to review books and they’re asking for guest bloggers all in all a very exciting magazine.

Each year Mslexia runs a women’s novel competition.
The first prize is £5000 and the judges this year are Jenni Murray, Sarah Waters and Clare Alexander.
The closing date this year is the 30th September, so you will have to hurry or mark your diary for 2012.
The competition is open to any unpublished women’s novelists in any genre. The novel must be finished before you enter and must be longer than 50,000 words.

To enter, send in up to 5,000 words of the novel’s beginning and check all their rules carefully.

The competition is aimed at women who may have written a novel in the past and it’s still languishing in a dark closet. Women who’ve attempted writing a novel and who just need that last push to complete it. Women who’ve got a rough first draft and Women who’ve perhaps submitted their novel time and time again and have despaired of ever being published or of finding an agent. Perhaps, women who’ve always wanted to write that elusive novel and never had the time to write. It may not be enough time for the last group, but there is always next year.

Before you enter, please make sure you read and abide by the rules of the competition; you don’t want to fall at the first hurdle after all your hard work.

Their web address www.mslexia.com


So, have a look at this magazine either online or in paper form and curl up and think of that marvellous novel you’re going to finish and enter for the competition this year or get down and write one for next year.