Q3 – ANSWERED: What should I consider when submitting my writing somewhere?
I have some finished writing ready for publication. What do you advise I consider in regard to submitting my work.
Rules for Submitting
Frank Beghin
- I refuse to pay reading fees.
- Rarely do I submit to magazines that don’t allow simultaneous submissions. I had one story tied up for a year and a half before it was ultimately rejected, despite assurances from the assistant editor that my story was well-liked—it just needed final approval from the editor-in-chief.
- I don’t submit to non-paying sites anymore. It’s great to be published, but being compensated for a clever story is more gratifying.
- Writing contests don’t interest me, since the fees are usually $20+. Depending on the number of contests you enter in a year, the costs start to add up. There’s even a calendar (for a fee) of all the contests that take place in the current year. Of course, I’m also a cynic so I wonder if the winning story isn’t picked based on the current motif du jour, and not on merit.
- I only look for places to submit my story now that have a printed publication, not just an ezine. (I want to hold the book or magazine in my hands once my story is published.)
- This is not a rule, but it is a preference: I like anthologies since I believe the chances for getting published are better. Instead of just one or two stories, the publishers are looking for at least a dozen.
- I like to go to The Submission Grinder (a free website) to get information on different magazines, such as wait times for a response. More than 90 days to get a reply seems excessive (especially if the magazine says no simultaneous submissions).
- I make sure I retain copyright to my story.
- I diligently read the submission guidelines of each magazine, and follow them before submitting.
- The above rules are not set in stone. There are exceptions.
