Submitting to the Higher Powers

...said powers being, of course, editors.

This evening I did a little clean-up writing, but most of my working time today was spent on the 'business' side of writing, which primarily means getting previously-completed pieces out the door and then updating my submissions log. (I use Excel, although I've also used and have been quite happy with the submissions tracker provided free on Duotrope's Digest.)

My advice for those starting out on the submissions route? Well, first off, congratulations for getting this far and looking for places to submit. Too many good writers I've met in workshops never take that first step to actually being published, which will always involve the writer putting that envelope in the mail, or perhaps emailing or uploading a.doc to a journal's Submission Manager. Nobody's going to come to your door and ask to see your work -- assuming you haven't been making violent threats to national politicians (not recommended).

Before doing that, however, read the journal's submission guidelines. Really. Read the guidelines, top to bottom. NOW FOLLOW THEM. If they're not accepting stories from March to August, don't submit in July thinking you're going to get a jump on the competition. If they don't accept stories over 9,000 words, don't send them your 9,357 word story, no matter how great a fit you think it is for them. (Try editing it down to 8,500 words or so, instead.) Not following the guidelines gives the first reader a great excuse to not read your story at all; and with hundreds of submissions clogging up their in-box, that's going to be all the excuse they need.

And while you're checking out the guidelines, if you don't already read the journal you're looking to be published in, read any fiction they happen to have up on their website. Happy fluffy bunny stories aren't going to hop onto the page at Chiaroscuro, and a quick perusal of what's published there would tell you that. (Unless your fluffy bunnies are very, very scary.)

Then, write a cover letter / email and send it with your piece. Address it to the fiction editor's name. Keep it short. Don't tell them the meaning of your story; the work should speak for itself. Do tell them about any relevant publications you have, if any, and let them know that you'd be honored to appear in their publication.

And you know, you will be, when it finally happens.

But always be prepared for rejection. Rejections, plural. Lots of them. Rejections after months, possibly a year or more, of not hearing anything at all. It's going to happen. Get used to it.

You're not going to hit a home run every at bat, and more often than not you're going to strike out. Don't let one pitch take you out of the lineup. For every rejection you get, send out two more submissions.

And keep writing new stuff.