You can learn a lot about what it takes to place a story in an ezine by starting up one of your own.
Last month I started work on a new ezine for writers, which I intended to use to publish high-quality, contemporary fiction, from writers all over the world. We placed a few adverts asking for submissions of just that. What we got was a revelation.
As a writer myself, I know how competitive the market is. Even non-paying markets are deluged by wannabe writers desperate for a by-line and some publicity. Competition, I had thought, would surely lead to a high quality of submissions, with every writer determined to submit only their very best work. Not so.
Of the handful of submissions we received the day after the adverts went out, only around four were fiction. One was a "how to write" style article. One was an essay on "the day my gran died". Two were stories about vampires. One guy just sent us his CV ? in Arabic.
Tip one, then: read the guidelines carefully. If the market you're aiming at publishes fiction, then no matter how brilliant your essay or article is, it's not going to be accepted. Neither is your CV?.
Tip two, I hardly even need mention: If the publication is in English, don't send your submission in Arabic, on the off-chance that the poor, beleaguered publisher will understand it. Simple. Having deleted the non-fiction submissions, I moved onto the "good stuff". Or so I thought. Of the four remaining pieces of writing, none had been proofread too carefully. One story made reference to a businessman "clenching the deal." One made frequent use of the word "teh" and had apparently random. Punctuation. A bit like. This. The other two were ? stories about vampires.
Tip three: Proofread. Or, ideally, get someone else to do it for you. Any writer knows that once you've worked on a piece of writing, you become blind to its mistakes. You can "proof" it as many times as you like, but you'll still just see what you think is there, rather than what actually is there. In any artistic endeavour, a fresh pair of eyes is essential in providing a little bit of clarity and perspective. For this reason, I present:
Tip four: constructive criticism is your friend. There are a lot of aspiring writers our there. Get together with one, even if it's only by email, and swap stories with them. Chances are they'll be able to point out something about your story that you've missed. They may have some knowledge about your subject matter that you lack ? for example, the fact that it's called a "bass" guitar, not a "base guitar", as one enlightening submission had it.
Tip five: let your writing do the talking. When it comes to biographical info, less is more. I want to read your story, not a breath-by-breath account of the last twenty years of your life. Keep it simple, keep it short.
And tip number six? Well, if you're thinking of submitting your writing to a publisher, visit our online writing community first for tips, articles, and our popular manuscript appraisal service.
Amber McNaught runs writing world, a new agency for freelance writers. Writing World provides a free agency service which helps writers find work, and helps employers find the best writer for their project.
Writing World also offers a range of service such as proofreading, edting and manuscript appraisal services to new and aspiring writers.
Visit the Writing World website at writing world
Chicago limo Skokie ..The greatest gift you have to give to yourself and... Read More
You sink back into your favourite chair with a new... Read More
Becoming an author is probably a lot easier than you... Read More
List-making is a favorite journaling technique and is often used... Read More
IntroductionSometimes it may be beyond a companies or individuals budget... Read More
My husband is no poet, so when I offer my... Read More
Names are important. Names give clues about us, where we... Read More
Chances are, you'll be busy over the next several weeks.... Read More
Most books aren't rejected because the stories are "bad." They're... Read More
On my first newspaper assignment as a critic, I was... Read More
Today it begins.I have always known I was a freelancer.... Read More
So you want to be a writer, except you don't... Read More
Want to write a how-to article but can't come up... Read More
You may wonder why I have chosen this title of... Read More
If you want to be a writer, then you must... Read More
If your articles aren't getting published very often, or you... Read More
This article contains a short guide on how to edit... Read More
Maybe you should write a book! This is not as... Read More
In large publishing houses, many manuscripts penned by first-time authors,... Read More
Peter Mayle was born in England in 1939.His fascination with... Read More
It is satisfying to be a part of such a... Read More
Have you ever started a creative writing project with great... Read More
Interesting characters that readers care about are the most important... Read More
I am sure that at in some era, at some... Read More
Agents and publishing houses have their best interests at heart,... Read More
limo O'Hare Bonfield ..It's important to have a space set aside in your... Read More
People can't believe I did it, but I did. I... Read More
No one is born a novel writer. But do you... Read More
I've been in the communications business a long time?over 25... Read More
A few days ago, I critiqued a chapter for a... Read More
You have a great idea for a poem, a story,... Read More
1. Set aside a time to write and keep it... Read More
11 Secrets from an Experienced InterviewerOne of the unwritten rules... Read More
Welcome to the zany ideas of a productive writer. My... Read More
Did you know that your back cover information is, after... Read More
In the beginning of your story you have to grab... Read More
A well-punctuated approach letter may make the difference between acceptance... Read More
Maybe you should write a book! This is not as... Read More
Yes, you know your subject. You also need to think... Read More
I owe the completion and success of my book to... Read More
Language Training - A key to Global CommunicationLanguage Training is... Read More
PASSED, PASTPassed is the past tense of pass. Past means... Read More
1. No one else will do it for you.2. No... Read More
How to Start Your Story with a BangThe purpose of... Read More
When you get stuck for ideas, and the words won't... Read More
All writers should use a plan whether written or reflected.... Read More
If you become a writer for any publication, private business,... Read More
SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?Many people have entertained... Read More
If you dream of turning your book into a best... Read More
Winning writing contests can provide several advantages to writers. For... Read More
Writing |