THE WORLD OF PUBLISHING

Creative Writing

THE GENERAL PROCEDURE

Every publisher is different.

There are still general steps that are usually followed: #1: Review #2: Production #3: Marketing

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SUGGESTIONS

Read. And Read. Then read some more. Young writers tend not to read.

Especially poetry. It’s a big mistake. You’ll never develop your writing skills if

you don’t immerse yourself in reading writing of all kinds.http://t2.gstatic.com

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Know what you write.

And what you write best. Ideally, you should be

experimenting with all kinds of forms.

You probably feel comfortable with some more than others.

Where is your voice most natural?

Submit there!

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Learn the “biz.”

There’s a right way to go about submitting writing.

Learn all you can by reading writing-related books and magazines.

Surf the net for markets for your writing.

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Research your markets.

Gather names, addresses, figures, editorial preferences, and other pertinent information all in one place.

Read their publication to see what they’re publishing.

Check out writing samples and guidelines. If it’s not online, send for guidelines! Consider this inside information!

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Start slowly.

As tempting as it may be to send your work straight to The New Yorker, try to adopt a more modest approach.

Good resources for writers at any stage: Poets & Writers (published

bimonthly) http://www.pw.org/

Writer’s Digest (8 issues/year) http://www.writersdigest.com/GeneralMenu/

The Markets (published yearly) Poet’s Market Writer's Market Novel And Short Story Writer's Market Children's Writer's And Illustrator's Market

Be professional!

Make it show in your very first submission, from the way you prepare your manuscript to your attitude in communication with the editors.

Follow guidelines. Submit a polished manuscript. Choose works carefully with editor’s needs

in mind. Always include a SASE.

Shows respect for editor and yourself.

Format

ON PAPER: Do not submit handwritten poems,

unless the publisher indicates that this is OK.

Typed, 8.5x11” paper, 1”+ margins, traditional font

Use a heading.

Heading

Heather Mundy3330 Seneca Street

West Seneca, NY 14224(716)677-3350

{6 lines until title)

Title{2 lines}

Start of piece

Other standards

Double space between stanzas. One piece per page. For pieces longer than one page, type

your name in the upper left-hand corner.

Submitting by e-mail

In most cases, include your piece in the body of an e-mail. Avoid software issues. Avoid spreading viruses.

Other editors prefer attachments.

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Cover Letter

Your introduction to the editor Discusses yourself and your work Check guidelines to see if it is required;

best to send one if it is “preferred”

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Keep track of your submissions. Do not send out the only copies of your

work. Keep hard copies. Establish a tracking system.

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Learn from rejection

A rejection slip is not a permission slip to doubt yourself, condemn your writing, or to give up.

If the editor comments on your work, feel lucky (they’re busy!), and pay attention to what they have said. Consider their feedback with an open mind.

Try again!

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Be careful and leery of anthologies. The anthologies will

cost you (often a lot of) money, and the quality of the work in them is usually disappointing.

Weird, false promises.

Don’t let your desire to be published allow you to fall into a trap you’ll regret.

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