Faith Green has some tips for sending your work out to the world for publication.
- The first and most important thing to keep in mind is about previously published work. The guidelines, almost all the time, specify that previously published works will not be accepted. * This means in print or on-line. If a poem or story of yours was printed in the HVWG newsletter for example, it is considered previously published. I have done research on this point so please take heed.
- If there is a word count limit, adhere strictly to this! They often request the word count appear on the copy. If you fail to do this, your work will probably be discarded.
- If the guidelines say it is an anonymous work, DON’T PUT YOUR NAME ON YOUR SUBMISSION!! If you do, your work will be eliminated!
- They often ask for Times New Roman or Calibri, or another common font. USE IT! Usually 12-point is standard. The guidelines will instruct about spacing, especially for prose.
- The guidelines also stipulate the reading period, ex. 6-8 weeks, etc. (more likely months) They don’t want to hear from you in between! Everyone has a mountain of work, so they need time to digest the work and make their selections.
- Keep track of your submissions because they will ask you to notify them immediately if the piece has been accepted elsewhere. Submittable.com is a good source because it keeps track for you!
- If possible, have a peer group proofread for you. Magazines/journals frown upon misspelled words and improper punctuation.
- Always send the best of your work!
- Prepare a short bio to use for submissions- SHORT means 30-50 words! You may want to keep several versions on file if a more detailed bio is needed.
- Some request a cover letter (covering letter in Britain) and others don’t. It is helpful if you have read past issues of the journal, so you know what type of work they are more likely to accept.
- Happy Writing and Submitting!
This information has been drawn from: Writers Digest, Writers Relief, Flash Fiction magazine and others.
Faith Green has been writing poetry for many years. She has published one book entitled “My Prophetic Soul and other Poems” by Mellon Press. She is writing a memoir in poetry, has completed a book of Haiku, and is writing a mystery novel. She is writing a book about her mother’s Alzheimer’s in the hope that it will help other caretakers deal with the difficulties of caring for an elderly parent. The newest work in progress is a book on organizing with ADD/ADHD.
Faith is a past President of the Hudson Valley Writers Guild. She belongs to one book club and three writing groups and lives in the Capital Region with her cat Belle.
