Submit Your Writing. Do it Now!

I had happy news yesterday. Several poems I submitted were accepted for a book about bedtime poems for children, coming out next month. The poems were ones that have been in my files for quite a long time. I'd subbed a couple of them to children's magazines earlier, but they were not accepted. So, back in the file folder they went. I was going to send just one or two to this new anthology but decided to send the lot. They might take a couple, I thought. What a surprise that they wanted all six, especially when I read that they had an overwhelming response and were not able to accept all the submissions received. 

If I'd left those poems in the file, they'd still be sitting there gathering dust or growing whiskers. The point here is 'If you don't submit, you cannot be published.' It's as simple as that. Conversely, it's not always a simple thing to submit your writing for publication. 

So, what's the problem? There are many reasons writers do not submit their work. Take a look at the following thoughts followed by one suggestion: 

 1.  It takes time:  First, you need to do some searching to find a place where what you have written fits. You should send an article on knitting to a handicraft magazine just as you would only submit a gardening essay to a  publication that deals with that subject. Once you find a market, you had better spend time checking and rechecking the submission guidelines. I cannot emphasize that step enough. Many submissions get tossed because they simply did not follow the guidelines. Next, you need to get the submission ready to send, whether by e-mail or snail mail. Guidelines often give how-to on this part of submitting, too. And finally, you need to record (somewhere, anywhere) what you sent, where you sent it, and when. So, yes--it takes time.

2.  Success is not guaranteed:  Darned little in this life is a sure thing, and submitting your writing to objective eyes is definitely a gamble. The odds are that more of your work will be rejected than accepted, especially in the early stages of your writing life. Convince yourself that you're not alone in this. We all know misery loves company, but your own misery after a rejection always runs higher. Take a chance. One of the submissions will eventually be accepted. Who knows, you might even have beginners luck and hit the jackpot on the first one. A nice dream you say? Well, it does happen occasionally.

3. Discipline is needed:  We all need discipline in many aspects of our lives. You had to learn to discipline yourself doing homework from grade school on. Submitting your writing is no different. It, too, requires discipline. Your spouse can't do it for you. Your kids can't do it for you, and neither can I. You know who must be the responsible one.

4.  No time like the present:  Don't promise yourself you'll submit your work next month or next week. Do it now. When we set the time line too far ahead, it's pretty easy to slide right on by. Do it now. And don't stop with one submission. I have numerous submissions out. All publications have different response times, so you need to keep the submissions going.

5. Watch for Calls for Submissions:  Make a habit of looking for calls for submissions. You'll find them in many writing newsletters and in groups on Facebook and other media platforms. 

6.  Start writing a new story:  This is a biggie. Once you send a completed piece of your writing to an editor, get started writing a new story right away. Keep the wheel turning and before you know it, you've established a habit.

You're a writer! You're special! Believe it!