Writers Generate Sales With Regular Submissions

The best way to generate sales of whatever you write is to submit your work on a regular basis. More than once, I've mentioned the Ferris wheel of submissions numerous times, mostly because it's a good illustration of what we need to do as writers to see our work published. Keep the seats filled and moving!

If you submit your work for publication once or twice a year, you're asking for disappointment. The odds are that you'll be rejected. But, if you submit five times a month, chances are that one will be accepted. Maybe more! That could depend on how savvy you are at matching your work to the right kind of publication. 

Writers have files filled with stories or essays they've written. Some have never been submitted while others have made the rounds but been rejected one or more times. Go through your files periodically to see what you might submit to a different publication or to assess the need for revisions before submitting again. Make good use of those pieces you've written and filed away. They get pretty dusty if you don't shake them a little every now and then.

A few weeks ago, I noted an article in my files that I thought might work in a senior newspaper that has purchased several pieces from me in the past. I had two versions, short and long. I sent the short one and later wondered if I should have sent the more detailed article on being your family historian. Never heard a word from the editor but, yesterday, I received a nice check in the mail from him. Shaking off the dust on an old story and submitting it does work.

Beginning writers tend to work very hard on a story, study the markets and choose one to submit to. They read the guidelines and send their work to the editor. Then they sit back and wait. Often, the wait seems interminable! If they sit around for results and do no more writing, they are wasting valuable time. A starred (*) rule in the submission process is to submit, then start working on a new writing project. Keep submitting but also keep writing. 

Writing is like the Ferris wheel above. We want to keep those seats filled with submissions at all times. When a story sells, a seat is emptied. What do you do? Fill it again with a new submission. You can't sell it if you don't send it!