Fiction Ed’s Blog: Our Commitment To Fiction
“The People’s Friend” celebrated our 8000th edition, recently – our October 21 issue.
Celebrating Our 8000th Issue
It featured our usual fiction content – seven short stories, two serial instalments, one instalment of our series, and another part in our weekly ‘soap’, ‘Riverside’.
We also featured a fantastic story from our Archive – “Century”, refreshing the original artwork.
It’s a great example of how a good story stands the test of time.
And of how “Friend” fiction changes with the times but remains a solid, trustworthy read.
Our 155th Anniversary
We have another nice milestone approaching – our 155th anniversary, in just a few weeks.
We’ve been publishing brand-new stories and serials since January, 1869.
We’re already planning our anniversary issue – with fiction, as always, at the heart of the magazine.
Giving New Authors An Opportunity
Nurturing new talent, and giving authors the opportunity to have their work published, has been part of the work of the Fiction Team since our very first issue back in 1869.
Our 155th anniversary issue – dated January 13, 2024 – will feature seven brand-new authors, who’ve never been previously published in the ‘Friend’.
And our list remains open – new-to-us authors can send submissions to friendfiction@dctmedia.co.uk.
Publishing More Stories Than Ever
We now publish around 769 brand-new short stories every year.
That’s across our weekly, specials, bookazines, and annuals; we also publish poetry and pocket novels.
With many magazines closing, and fiction content being reduced in others, we remain committed to publishing quality fiction and encouraging our authors, both new and established.
The Home Of Quality Short Stories
So as we move forward in these uncertain times, our commitment is that “The People’s Friend” will remain the home of quality short stories and serials.
We also hope to have information on a new opportunity for both established and unpublished authors very soon.
Please watch this space!
