Dealing with the write stuff
I’m still a young guy, more or less, but I’ve been writing long enough to have submitted fiction to editors the old-fashioned way.
That means through the mail with a ‘SASE’ (self-addressed stamped envelope in writer lingo), and a significant wait ahead of me. Manuscripts generally adhered to a standard format in those days.
Technology created sweeping changes to the way writers of all stripes submit their work, most of it for the better. No need to photocopy dozens of manuscripts or pay for postage on a story that might be rejected. You hear yea or nay from editors much faster, too (although those 24 hour nays sting a little).
Yet the greater landscape of submissions has taken on its own life form. I couldn’t have imagined this when I began submitting stories. Again, most of it is good, but writers submitting work should consider certain pitfalls. Some can be writing biz faux pas and others a standard part of writing.
In any case, they can be the difference between serious consideration and a swift route to the rejection pile.
These are all realities of writing for publication, the nitty gritty after the fun part is over. Rejection comes with the territory, and one should expect more of those than acceptances. How to improve your chances is key, which can be done by following certain steps when submitting.
We discuss this and similar topics at Writers Group, which meets on the first Tuesday of each month at the Centennial branch. Most of our meetings cover the craft of writing but, once in a while, we discuss more practical matters. Some of those practical matters include finding and querying literary agents and other areas of publishing.
At our next meeting, we will discuss submitting your work for publication: the ins and outs, the markets, the process, the expectations and many other considerations writers often overlook. This meeting will cover traditional publishing over self-publishing, and cover numerous points about the submissions process.
We look forward to seeing you.