Mslexia 92 December'21/January/February'22

In this issue

Without fear or favour Debbie Taylor looks at what happens when writers submit their writing to agents, publishers and competitions – and at what can be done to make the process less harrowing

Remove the kid gloves Children’s novelist Rachel Faturoti explains why writers need to address challenging themes in children’s fiction

The knowledge Julie Vuong talks to the agents and editors involved in historical romance and discovers that readers want fewer damsels and distress and more smart-thinking heroines

My comic life When Matilda Tristram got cancer she wrote a comic diary about it. Here she explains how you don’t need to be good at drawing to star in your own comic strip

Interview Debbie Taylor talks to bestselling crime author Joy Ellis

Your authorial brand Maxine Davies urges writers to talk themselves up and reconsider how they present themselves to the world

When I grow up... Katy Evans-Bush reports back on her quest to discover whether it might actually be possible to make a living as a poet these days

Self-publish a bestseller Our resident self-publishing guru Debbie Young talks to the stars of indie science fiction and fantasy about identifying and marketing your particular subgenre

PLUS: Diane Abbott tells us what's on her bedside table, Jesse Sutanto talks about silencing your inner critic, and we introduce the winners of our Short Story and Flash Fiction competitions!