"How do I learn about places to submit writing to? How do I start the submission process? Do I write to fit specifications? Or do I write and then look for a fit?"
This was asked by a writer who's working on non-fiction,
but I think the same questions apply if you're writing short stories or even novels.
Let's take a look at some answers, both for non-fiction and fiction writers.
Non-Fiction Submissions
With non-fiction, there are a few different approaches you might take:
- Write an article, then look for a suitable publication or market for it.
- Come up with an idea, find a market, and get it accepted before writing it.
- Look at a list of markets
first, and tailor your ideas to fit them.
None of these is "right" or "wrong" but personally, I like to pitch an idea before writing the whole piece. That way, I won't waste time writing something that may never find its market.
Note: Most publications want pitches (ideas and brief
outlines) rather than finished articles. There are exceptions, of course: many blogs are happy to look at full guest posts, for instance.
If you're writing a non-fiction book, the standard way to approach agents and publishers is to query them with an outline plus (usually) three sample chapters, before you write the rest of the book.
Finding places to pitch to can seem tricky, but there are lots of good sources out there for non-fiction markets. For instance, both Make a Living Writing and The Write Life have regular round-ups of websites and magazines that take freelance submissions, and Write Jobs Plus (small monthly
subscription charge) has daily lists of paying markets.
Fiction Submissions
If you're working on short stories, you could either write the story first then look for a magazine or competition that fits it ... or you could come up with an idea to fit a specific
competition brief or publication.
It's normal to submit the completed short story, not just the idea and outline. (If you've already got an existing connection with an editor, though, you could run ideas past them to see what they're interested in.)
For short story submissions, I'd
suggest looking at writing competitions, writing-related magazines, and publications that regularly publish short fiction. The Write Life has a (US-centric) list of places to submit your short stories that's well worth checking out.
In the UK, several women's magazines (like My Weekly and The People's Friend) publish short stories. The People's Friend has helpful guidelines here on what they're
looking for.
When it comes to novels, there are two usual routes for submissions:
- Submit to literary agents who represent your genre.
- Submit direct to publishers (note that many publishers don't accept "unsolicited submissions"
however).
You'll need to send the first three chapters and a synopsis of the story, and generally, you'll be expected to have finished the whole novel so that you can send it promptly if the agent/editor wants to see the whole thing.
There are also some novel competitions out there (The Novelry is running one right now), which might be worth a look, especially if you have a strong opening but haven't yet finished your novel.
Happy
writing,
Ali
P.S. If you missed last week's blog post, you can find it here:
How to Turn Your Year Around: Getting Your Novel Plans Back on Track
