Submitting Your Writing for Publication

 

The Old-Fashioned Way to Submit Your Writing

Learning the ins and outs of writing is important. There is a great deal of information to absorb as we begin our writing journey and continue down its path. We must become proficient in the tools of writing before we can submit what we write to an editor. 

There are writers who finish a first draft and submit to an editor immediately. Then, they are despondent when that submission lands with a dull thud and brings a rejection. Submitting is important, but not until you have done everything you can to make your submission stronger and better and of interest. 

We also see writers who write and write, revise and edit, write some more and file the story or essay or poem. They might be very happy with the way their piece of writing turned out, but even so, they file it and move on to a new writing project. And they never, ever submit their work for publication. Is the thinking If I don't submit it, I won't have to deal with rejection or is it fear that they are not good enough? It could be either one of those possibilities. Or perhaps the writer has no desire for publication; they write for their own pleasure, not to share with others. Is that being selfish? Perhaps, but it's also a choice that some writers make. It's not wrong, merely their choice.

If you do want to be published, the one and only way is to submit your work to a publishing house or an editor of a magazine or anthology. I had a writing friend years ago who always said, "Send it in! No one is going to climb in your bedroom and take your manuscript from your top dresser drawer1" His mantra to our writing group became "Send it in!" It was good advice. If you don't send it, you cannot possibly become a published writer. 

Years ago, writers had to send via snail mail, often with a SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) for the return answer. It was a lot of busy work getting that submission ready to send. Then the big wait until the SASE you enclosed came back to you with either an acceptance or rejection. If the latter, you sent it to the next editor on your list. And then you waited again. You used postage on the envelope you sent and the one you enclosed for the return answer. Do that often, and the cost adds up.

Now, submitting is so easy as we can do it by email or by filling out a form in Submittable or a form on an individual website. There is still the antsy waiting period, but eventually, something pops up in your email letting you know the result. The rejection is not any less painful, nor is an acceptance any more joyous. It's just a lot easier to submit today than years ago. Every now and then, I run across a place that still asks for a snail mail submission with that SASE, but it's rare. I usually pass right on by when I see their request.

There are still a few places that do not respond to a submission unless it is with an acceptance. One of the places where I have been published many times never sends a rejection. Instead, the writer is left hanging. After a long period of waiting and no acceptance, the writer grudgingly knows he/she has been rejected. Personally, I would rather have a definite rejection so I can move on. 

One of the important parts of submitting your writing is to read and study the Writer Guidelines and then follow them. Some publications give detailed guidelines, and others give few to none. The latter, I think, do themselves no favor, as they must receive scads of submissions that are not right for their publication. I much prefer a set of guidelines I can follow and also to know if what I am sending is alright for the publication. 

Once you submit a piece, don't sit around and wait for an answer. Get to work on a new project. Once you have a finished piece that you are satisfied with, send it in. Keep the submission Ferris Wheel moving all the time. 

Make a record of what you send, to whom, and when you sent it. When you get an answer, record the result, as well. You might think you'll remember, but if you submit often, it's likely you will forget the details.

To quote my friend once again: "Send it in! "Send it in!" Send it in!" You'll never be published if you don't do so.

Another Story for Chicken Soup Books

I'm always reminding people who submit stories to the Chicken Soup for the Soul books that they must expect a very long waiting time between submission and final acceptance. I submitted a story for the Reboot Your Life book on September 29, 2013. That's nine months that the story was out of circulation. 

This past Friday, I received notice that my story was in the final selection list and was asked to sign and return the Permission Release form attached to the message. Then came the warning that not all the stories that had made it to this point would be included in the book. I knew it would be another waiting period before I'd know whether I'd been slashed or made it. 

On Monday, the good news arrived. My Dad, A Dream and A Red Shirt" would be included in the book which is to be published September 16, 2014.This has to be the fastest ever! The edited version was attached and I was asked to read it, make any corrections I felt needed, or send a message permitting the publisher to use my story as is. The first thing that hit me was that they'd changed the title to Forgiveness and Freedom. I had no problem with the new title. In fact, I liked it a lot. The original one had been a working title and I never came up with anything I liked better. The rest of the story was not changed so I happily sent my permission to publish message to the editor. 

Because of the very long wait from last September, I had submitted the same story to another book to be published later, one on the topic of forgiveness. I felt that the story would be perfect for that book. But it went to the first one. My next step was to inform the editor that the story had also been submitted for another book and needed to be withdrawn. She was most gracious and said it would be taken care of. If you are ever in that situation, be sure to let the editor/publisher know that the story is no longer available. 

I set a goal to have stories in at least an even dozen of the Chicken Soup books. This one is number 15 and that pleases me greatly. My friend, Harriet Cooper, far surpasses me in numbers in this anthology series. She has had two stories in more than a few books, not just one like the rest of us. I call her The Queen of Chicken Soup. Harriet did a guest post for me in 2010 about writing for anthologies that you might like to read. Since then, she's had more stories published in Chicken Soup. Yep, she's the queen!

The Submission Process--Part I

Aim High When You Submit Your Work

There is one great truth in writing for publication. You will not be published if you don’t submit your work. Submitting is step one. Sounds easy, doesn’t it, but in reality a writer must have a few items in her internal tote bag to help in the process.

First and foremost, she’ll need the courage to send her work to an editor. And don’t kid yourself--it does take courage to send your baby out into the publishing sea. The waters are deep, and the sharks numerous. Other authors have sent their precious words to the same editor. Which one is going to survive? There’s no way to tell, but if you don’t submit, you’ll never know if your words will be the ones to swim right into the publication process. Take a chance and send your work along with whatever is required in the writers’ guidelines. The rejections may outweigh the acceptances, but that’s what this business is all about. Statistics tell us that writers receive more rejections than acceptances, so toughen your hide and send your work to an appropriate publication. If it comes back, send it to another publication.

The best way to match your story, essay, or article with the right magazine, newspaper or ezine is to study market guides. There are several guides published annually that offer complete information about hundreds of publications. They list address, phone numbers, editors’ names, requirements, payment and sometimes list current needs. Guides exist for novel writers, magazines, playwrights, poets, and song lyric writers. It is to the writer’s advantage to study the guide that pertains to her particular type of work. Most library reference sections have copies of the market guides. A writer can spend hours in the library taking notes but can also go online to find market guides or websites of specific publications, or visit a bookstore and purchase a copy. Keep in mind that they become outdated in a hurry. This is one reason why I've switched to doing almost all my searching online. 

It’s also possible to use an internet search engine for writers’ guidelines. Use keywords to narrow the search. If you have written an article about building a backyard pond, look for garden magazines or How-To publications. If there is a particular magazine that interests you, put the name in a search engine and look for the guidelines. Ask yourself if your article, story or essay would be a good fit. It’s a waste of time to submit to them if you feel your work is way off base for that publication.

Part II will be on tomorrow's blog.

Good News/Bad News

Yesterday I received a dose of  good news/bad news. An editor from Chicken Soup Publishing wrote that my story "The Body Beautiful"  had made it to the final selection for a book on Faith. The letter indicated that only a small percentage of the stories submitted had made it this far. That's the good news.

The bad news is that the book will be released in mid-October, and the authors of the final stories selected will be notified about a month prior to that. I call that bad news since it is a long wait from mid-April to mid-September. And, as is their policy, the authors who make the cut will be notified, the others will not. It leaves a writer hanging on the edge of the cliff waiting for James Bond to come and rescue her. Well, maybe not quite that dramatic, but it's a long wait, especially since the story was submitted in December 2011.

It also means that I cannot submit the story to another publication until I know whether it will be in this new book or not. If the worst happens, the story has been sitting gathering literary dust for longer than I'd like.

When I submit to a Chicken Soup book, I know the odds of my story making it into their book are not great. But I've been successful a dozen times with them so far, and I know how the process works. That makes me willing to submit, willing to wait, willing to take my chances. And I know my chances are far better than winning the lottery, so I'll continue to send stories to Chicken Soup books. I won't sit around just waiting. I'll start working on a story for the newest titles listed. When one of my stories makes it into a Chicken Soup book, I'm a happy writer.

A member of my critique group also received a letter informing her that her story is in the final selection stage. We both signed the Permission Release Agreement and sent it back, and we're hoping to be able to congratulate one another on getting into the book.

Do you wonder how a story called "The Body Beautiful" is in the finals for a book on faith? I assure you that it is a story about faith, also about a girl who wore leopard-skin print panties and bra. Check back in October for more about the story.

Do you have any thoughts about the process of submitting your work to Chicken Soup books?