Fiction Ed’s Blog: Fiction Queries And Complaints


Shutterstock / New Africa © fiction queries

Do you have any fiction queries or a complaint about fiction in “The People’s Friend”?

Here’s how we can help, while we’re working from home.

We want to help!

The first thing to say is – we want to help resolve your query.

Although we’re not back in the office yet, things are moving in that direction, and hopefully we’ll be contactable by phone again soon.

In the meantime, here’s how to contact us, so we can help put things right.

For readers

Readers can email any queries to: peoplesfriend@dctmedia.co.uk

You can also Facebook us!

Published and unpublished authors

Established authors – please contact your assigned editor in the first instance.

If for any reason, you feel your query hasn’t been resolved, or if you’re an author who has yet to be published in the “Friend”, email Fiction Editor Lucy.

Submission queries

Your assigned editor is best placed to answer submission queries.

Before getting in touch, it’s very helpful if you can have details of your story’s title and word count to hand, and the date it was submitted.

Common reasons for delay are that it’s a word count we have lots of – especially 1200 words; that it’s seasonal; or that it’s similar to a story featured recently.

Our website

The answer to many writing-related queries can be found on our website.

For example, you can find out there if one of your stories will feature in that week’s issue.

Many of our contributors take out a subscription to the weekly magazine and the Special. That way they never miss a story.

About social media

We can only help if we know there’s a problem, so please contact your assigned editor directly, rather than discussing on social media.

We hope your “Friend” experience will always be a happy one! But if that isn’t the case, please contact us, so we can help put it right.


For more from Fiction Ed Lucy, read her blog here.

Lucy Crichton

Fiction Editor Lucy is always on the look-out for the very best short stories, poems and pocket novels. As well as sourcing enjoyable content, she enjoys working with our established contributors, encouraging new talent, and celebrating 155 years of 'Friend' fiction!