So today I have a great guest post to share with all of you. I hope you all check it out and enjoy!
When I started writing, the internet and email as we know
them didn’t exist. Everything was still
done on paper and mailed through the postal service. In college, we were taught how to write query
letters for agents and publishers, how to format submissions, how to chart
where we had submitted what, and all kinds of useful tips and tricks for what
were the standard norms of the publishing world. Today, virtually everything I learned about
submission for publication is now obsolete.
In my career, I’ve had to relearn just about every step of the process
from scratch, and the purpose of this post is to share with new writers a
little information about the process today.
First, let me say, I’m a small press author. The big six have never shown the slightest
interest in my work, so when it comes to landing a deal with an imprint of one
these major houses, I can’t help you because I’ve never had any success with
them myself. If you want a deal with one
of them, this article will not help you in the slightest. Also, even though I restarted my career by
self-publishing, that landscape has changed so radically in the last nine
years, I can’t really help you there either.
If you want to self-publish to make a name for yourself, your best bet
is to do a little research and find the best avenue for you. Finally, I only produce short fiction when
I’m approached by an editor to do so. I
haven’t produced a short story on spec in fifteen years, so I can offer no
insight on how to get your work into those markets other than to say read
plenty of short story publications and submit to those where your work seems to
fit. At this point, you may be wondering
what in the hell kind of advice piece this is.
This guy doesn’t seem to know much of anything.
