Hey there! I have a really basic question. Just tell me if I should direct this to another board.
I've decided to start submitting short pieces regularly. Since this is W1/S1, my goal is to submit at least once a month, at least until I get the hang of this.
The problem is that I have never done short pieces before. I've written novels and queried agents, so the process isn't foreign to me, but it's different. I've got a Duotrope account now and am looking around, and I have no idea what the norm is for submitting.
I know big publications make you query. But it looks like low-paying opportunities don't? Most seem to just want a submission with nothing else (like this one, which is manuscript + bio paragraph) Some are unclear, like Spellbound, which only mentions manuscript formatting rules.
I always try to follow the rules, but lot of these aren't super explicit. What's a good rule of thumb? Just submit with nothing else? Include a paragraph about yourself? Do a cover letter?
I've decided to start submitting short pieces regularly. Since this is W1/S1, my goal is to submit at least once a month, at least until I get the hang of this.
The problem is that I have never done short pieces before. I've written novels and queried agents, so the process isn't foreign to me, but it's different. I've got a Duotrope account now and am looking around, and I have no idea what the norm is for submitting.
I know big publications make you query. But it looks like low-paying opportunities don't? Most seem to just want a submission with nothing else (like this one, which is manuscript + bio paragraph) Some are unclear, like Spellbound, which only mentions manuscript formatting rules.
I always try to follow the rules, but lot of these aren't super explicit. What's a good rule of thumb? Just submit with nothing else? Include a paragraph about yourself? Do a cover letter?