Where to Start Submitting.

[EL_Scorcho]

[Skip the first paragraph if you don't care for a short, mostly pointless bio]

I'm new. New here, new to formal writing intended for publication, new to all of that. I've been writing for years, having had some education in it, but as teenagers with low selfesteem do, I assumed I didn't have what it took. Knowing that to be horsecrap now, I realize that it ispossible, should I have the determination.

To cut to the point and eliminate heart warming tales of self discovery, in the last year or two I've moved much of my writing into online journals and let friends have access. Little did I realize that, based on feedback, I apparently don't suck. News to me. I've refined my craft, taken classes, read a lot of fiction and how-to-suck-less-at-writing books, and now have a small, growing, portfolio of work.

I'm sure some of you may have a somewhat similar story, but here's where I'm at: I want to submit and start building publishing credits, but I have no idea where I ought to submit considering my zero publishings. Reputation counts and I have none. I'm looking for that first step. I keep finding the later steps once a small reputation has been built, but nothing about how where to go from point A.

Thoughts?

[HConn]

Scorcho, what do you read? What magazines? What type of anthologies?

[Shade53]

Scorcho - It's been my experience that the best way to begin is jump in head first. Find a few publications - magazines and ezines if you are writing shorts or poetry - that fall in the same categories as what you are writing - read them thoroughly. If you think what you have would be a good fit, don't pay any attention to your credits, or lack thereof, and submit. It always pays to set your sights as high as possible, as long as you keep your expectations realistic. You shouldn't limit yourself because you've no history yet. If the story is good, it will find a home.

~S

[rich]

Give us the/a site where your work is, or submit your best in the Sharing Work topic. If you don't want it reviewed just preface it with "What pub would this work for?"

[stormie]

First of all, you have determination. That's good. Now, make sure you put your work aside, reread it about a week from now--out loud--to get a feel for the flow. Polish it. Then format it properly. Find magazines you can submit your work to. (Ralan.com is a good site to start looking for such places.) Send your work off with a stamped self-addressed envelope enclosed for a reply. Do not put in your cover letter that your friends and/or family love your work. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point. You don't need to state that you haven't yet been published. If your writing is very good and you present your work and yourself as professional as possible, you'll start getting those clips.


Good luck!

[arrowqueen]

Find out who's publishing the kind of thing you're writing, then start submitting.

Good luck,
aq