Do you submit writing to magazines, competitions, agents or publishing houses? How do you motivate yourself? What's the worst response you've had? What's the best? Tell us about the moment that made it all worthwhile!
Essential Writers » Motivation and inspiration
Submissions - how do you do it?
(12 posts)-
Posted 9 months ago #
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emily
MemberI try to make sure I send out a least one short story every couple of weeks - the way I look at it, that's around 24 submissions a year. Actually, that doesn't sound that many, perhaps I should start sending more!
Posted 9 months ago # -
graham
MemberIt's hard going when you get endless rejections, but the occasional commission keeps me going! Last month I contacted fourteen mags I'd never written for before. Eight ignored me completely, five said 'thanks but no thanks', and one said they liked my idea and gave me a deadline of Dec 7th. Magic!
Posted 9 months ago # -
Steve
MemberWoohoo! I just had my first feature commission come through from a mag I've been trying to get in with for ages. How's that for a great way to begin 2010!
Posted 7 months ago # -
graham
MemberCongrats, Mike. You've spurred me on to send out more feature pitches!
Posted 7 months ago # -
emily
MemberMy New Year's resolution for 2010 is to send out at least one feature pitch or story submission every single week. Being trapped at home in the snow really helped – I sent out nine feature ideas last Monday! Now I just need one to come good...
Posted 7 months ago # -
Steve
MemberIt's about persistence. Well, persistence, good ideas, talent and a hefty chunk of luck!
Posted 7 months ago # -
The worst rejection I've had is an email which just said 'no thanks'. Not even a comma between no and thanks. I wasn't even WORTH a comma. Decided I wouldn't want to be edited by him anyway.
Posted 7 months ago # -
trishool
MemberIf you are submitting a short story or an article, do you submit it to multiple places at the same time? If you only submit to one place, and if they do not give you a reply, how long do you wait before submitting it somewhere else?
Posted 7 months ago # -
This is just my experience. I think if it's a short story or article, you shouldn't send it to duplicate publications. One of the main reasons for this is that everything you write should be targeted at a certain audience after studying the publication you are aiming at. People vary on how long to wait before sending elsewhere. That's trickier. Just keep sending things out, and then you're not always in that 'hanging on' state which is always so painful and requires acres of chocolate to be soothed.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Rebecca Lloyd
MemberI'm not familiar with submitting articles, but I am with short stories. The submission page on a publisher's website almost always tells you if they allow simultaneous submissions, [the same story sent to more than one publisher]. If you can't see anything saying they don't allow sim. subs. then, I'd just go ahead and submit it to as many publishers as you want, because it's the publishers responsibility to present their submission rules correctly.
On how long you wait if your work is tied up with one publisher, is a decision each of us has to make, as Fran says. Submitting stories and everything connected with it is what I call the admin. side of a writer's work. Well, you don't want to let the admin. get on top of you, so just keep writing, and submitting.
Becca.Posted 7 months ago # -
emily
MemberI try not to do that, with short stories or feature ideas. Instead i have a collection of about 10 of each that are constantly doing the rounds, being re-assessed after each rejection (or worse, non-reply). I think it would be awful to have two magazines sy they'd like to publish your work, and then have to turn one down!
Posted 6 months ago #
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