Editing is your Friend

November 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Most books, short stories, articles and other types of content are rejected from being published because they are not ready to be released due to minor grammatical and spelling errors. There are many different errors writers make and overlook during proofreading or never properly learned the rule of the language. By fixing these small mistakes through editing prior to submitting your work you have a better chance of being published.
Presentation is Key
Once you find a publisher, it is important to present your work in the best possible manner. Therefore, you must thoroughly edit your material and make it look presentable prior to submitting it to your publisher. Not following this rule is like going into a job interview in shorts and sneakers; it is unlikely you will be offered the position.
Edit, Edit and Reedit
The more time you spend editing your work the higher chance you have of acceptance. E-publishers invest a great deal of time into developing their website and creating the electronic documents for the internet. On the other hand, print publishers spend a great deal of money advertising. Therefore, they do not have the resources to be editing all of your work. When publishers receive multiple submissions, you want yours to stand out among the group.
Use the Tools to Edit
The first step in proper editing is using the spelling and grammar check within your word processing document. This will catch the most common mistakes but it is always important to proofread your work a few times. It is most beneficial to space out the time in which you read the document. This allows your eyes to refocus so it is similar to reading a fresh manuscript. Make sure to be aware of contractions, singular vs. plural, tenses and proper uses of words like I and me; him and he; and their, there and they’re.
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Filed Under: Becoming a Better Writer Tagged With: , , ,

Finding a Good Literary Agent

November 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
If you’ve written a book and you don’t want to self-publish, it’s time to start finding a publisher – or is it? Instead of looking for a publisher for your work, you may want to look for a literary agent. An agent can get your work into the hands of larger publishers that wouldn’t be interested in viewing unagented submissions. That way you’ll have a better chance of selling your work and getting a good advance and royalties from it. Also, an agent can help guide you and get you to adjust your work if it’s not quite where it should be just yet.
Getting an agent can be difficult, because they don’t want to represent anyone whose work they don’t believe in or think that they can sell. Get your work as good as possible, and then send it out to agents. Query them, just like you would with a publisher or a magazine. If you get one that’s willing to take a closer look, count yourself very lucky. Just make sure that you get a legitimate agent. He or she shouldn’t be charging you for editing or for looking at your work. That should be free, and the only time the agent should make money is when you get an advance or a royalty check – the agent will get a percentage.
Most agents are interested in building trust with their clients and working with them for life. They want to establish a good relationship and start getting books sold. That way the client makes a steady stream of income and so does the agent. It’s a winning situation for everyone involved. Be prepared for rejection when looking for an agent, though, and keep in mind that an agent won’t necessarily get your books sold. It’s still a difficult business to break into.
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Filed Under: Professional Writing Tagged With: , , ,

Querying Magazines – Do It the Right Way

October 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment
If you want to write for magazines, you’ll generally need to query them with the ideas you have for stories. Unless you’re a very in-demand writer who’s a household name or you’ve been writing for that magazine for some time already, you’re probably not going to be contacted by the magazine, asking you to write something. Querying can seem very daunting. The idea of ending up with a rejection from someone you don’t even know can also seem like something you want to avoid. If you truly want to be a writer, though, you’re going to face rejection.
It’s part of life, and it’s a big part of the life of a writer. To cut down on the number of rejections that you’re getting, though, there are things you can do. First of all, learn how to query the right way. You don’t want to send something that’s sloppily-written or unprofessional, because you’ll get rejected. You want to send something you would send if you were applying for a job – professional, to the point, and clear. Make sure you know what kinds of stories the magazine prints, and that you tailor your query along those same lines.
That way, the magazine’s editors will see how what you want to write fits in with what they already have – but yet is unique enough to be valuable. Proofread your query. Read it out loud. It’s much easier to catch mistakes when you do that. Once you’re sure that you’ve caught everything and your query is the best it can be, get a trusted friend or family member to read it. He or she might catch something you didn’t. Then, send it the right way, and to the right person to give yourself the best chance of a positive response.
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How to Find the Best Literary Magazine for Your Writing

October 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment
There are few skills that equal the prestige of great writing. If you can master it, being a writer opens so many opportunities for not only employment, but for self-satisfaction and the boost in ego that having your writing recognized provides. A literary magazine is a great place to start if you haven’t gotten published yet.

The first hurdle is motivation. Rejection is extremely common in the writing world, but with so many places to take your stories, articles, poems and whatever writing outlet you have, you can keep trying at pretty much a constant rate. Historically, libraries and colleges were the best places to find a literary magazine suitable for your writing. Right now, the search does not have to go beyond your Web browser.

It’s good to know your options are open. There are still many, many journals that publish writing from around the country, and in many places, the world. You have to narrow down your choices by looking into what each literary magazine publishes, such as the types of stories or poems they prefer, and whether they accept unpublished writers or demand that the applicant has previously published work to show.

The process of researching these magazines also involves reading the guidelines. Almost every one has a list of guidelines that are expected to be followed; and which editors will look for even before reading the submission. You have to follow them or else your time preparing the work is wasted. It’ll just get thrown out.

The top literary magazines expect the best of writing and you cannot make any mistakes. If you’ve been published, you’re familiar with the process and the fact that the journal is looking for you to prove that. Many smaller scale publications accept unpublished writers and can open the door to opportunities that can be the beginning of a long and prosperous career.

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Why you should subscribe to a Literary Magazine

September 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Every amateur writer hopes to see his name in print. While that occasion comes early on for many, other have to wait a while longer before they get can get there. Though many writers look for fancier ways to seek attention, going old school may, in fact, be more rewarding.

A literary magazine is the most effective way to get some much needed love. If you’re not sure of which Literary Magazine to subscribe to, shop around. Subscription.com carries all kinds of magazines, one of which will suit your fancy.With editors, fellow writers and possible fans, all getting a glimpse of your work, you could be two submissions away from hitting the jackpot. While you should constantly try to get your name featured in a literary magazine, here’s why you should also subscribe to one:

•    Read and learn: For a writer to learn and perfect his art is a tedious process. However, a literary magazine can serve as an important learning tool. An amateur writer can absorb the style, the vocabulary and the flair with which the featured author writes. Over time, following a veteran writer and his prose can imbibe a similar flair in a newbie writer.

•    Contests & Features: When you subscribe to a particular literary magazine, you automatically open up several doors for yourself. Each periodical carries with itself an invitation for newer stories, poems and prose. When you submit your work, you can gauge your skills against others who are published and get a fair evaluation of your work. Beyond that, you open up newer possibilities to get your work published as editors from various publishing houses read the magazines and keep a look out for fresher talent.

•    Use as reference: If you have been published in a literary magazine, you can always use that as an additional reference on your resume. Not only does it reflect your capabilities, it also gives the editor the confidence that he is hiring the right guy! If you are still struggling to find your foothold, you can use the contact details of the authors who have been published, to network with them.

You may not see prompt results but don’t let that scare you. Every effort you take brings you closer to your ultimate goal.

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