Read The Guidelines
It's amazing how many people who aspire to be published writers forget the most important thing to do before sending their work in to a publication:
Read the Submission Guidelines!
Below are some of the most common errors in submission I see -- and I'm small press. I can't imagine what the "big guys" have come across their desk every day. While I do end up reading most improperly sent submissions, it's become easier for me to weed through the stacks and make the difficult decision to reject someone's work when the guidelines are not followed.
Read on to learn how to avoid getting your work rejected as well....
Send your work to the correct address
No matter where you're submitting, if you don't take the time to read the guidelines for submission, you will often be on the receiving end of ... silence. Failure to send your work to the proper e-mail address will not get your work into the hands of the person you most want to see it. Often, improperly addressed work will go straight to the trash (spambox) or, at the very least, remain unread for months until someone eventually gets around to reading the mail in the postmaster or webmaster accounts.
Remember that postmaster and webmaster accounts are "catch all" accounts and sometimes the best way to deal with all the junk that accumulates in them is to Select All and Delete. Be forewarned!
The result? Reject.
Include your basic contact information
When you do send your work to the correct address, please be sure to include your name and contact information as well as a valid subject line if submitting via e-mail. I'm stunned when I get a submission and the person doesn't have the foresight to include their name or address. All I'm left with is an e-mail address and the prospect of addressing my reply to "Dear ... ummm ... Dude"
I realize that not every small press has release forms, but ESC! Magazine does and if you don't include your basic contact information, then I can't fill out the form if I want to accept your work.
The result? Reject.
Submit work appropriate to the publication
Don't send me porn. Don't send me children's poetry or short stories. Don't send me fan fiction.
It seems a lot of people are content to submit blindly to a publication without having any idea what the magazine is all about.
In the case of ESC!, all of our recent issues are available for download from the web site in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. Before submitting, read them.
In other words, by reading the guidelines and the magazine, not only can you enjoy the works of those who came before you, but you can target your submissions appropriately. Submitting within the genres the magazine is looking for is critical if you hope to have your work accepted.
The result? Reject.
Submit in the formats requested
If a publication asks for submissions in Microsoft Word or OpenOffice.org formats, then don't submit in WordPerfect or Microsoft Works ... or Timmy's Super WordProcessor.
I accept a much broader range of formats than most, but then I've got years of IT experience which have given me the technical know-how to convert from foreign formats to one I can use. You can bet, however, that most small publications don't have this capability.
Oh, and while on this topic, please be sure to submit "clean" files. If you use Windows and submit to publications in Microsoft Word format, you better be running a high quality virus scanner (see this or this) and keep it up to date because I don't want to deal with any infections your computer might have.
The result? Reject.
Your work should be typed
Don't hand write your submissions.
'Nuf said?
The result? Reject.
Proofread your submission
I won't hold someone accountable for an errant comma or misused colon, or even the occasional (occasional - a word I spell incorrectly every time by the way) spelling error, but I do wish folks would take just a few moments and proofread their story for spelling errors, misplaced or misused apostrophes and capitalization errors. I get submissions chock-full of them and I don't think it's anything but simple laziness. I can't name a modern word processor that doesn't underline or otherwise mark spelling errors in real time these days. (Okay, now someone is going to call me on something I spelled wrong in this entry and rub my face in it. That's okay, I can take it....)
If you want me to accept your work, remember that for every misspelled word you have in your story, someone needs to fix it -- and that someone is me (see one-man show).
The result? Reject.
Just something to think about...
It won't result in outright rejection, but it sure would be nice if you could form complete sentences when composing your e-mailed submission's "cover letter." Maybe even follow the basic rules for writing a simple personal correspondence letter? Having a computer with the means to communicate in an instant doesn't mean the rules go out the window! I mean, after all, if you can't compose a simple letter, then what can I expect when I read your short story?
If you have questions ... ask!
If you do read the guidelines and still have questions, don't be afraid to ask. Guessing what the publication might be looking for or what a policy might mean is worse than taking some time to send an exploratory e-mail.
I am open to all discussions about ESC! Magazine's guidelines and have in the past made changes to the way I operate thanks to the input of contributors. Sometimes suggestions will work and sometimes they won't, but you'll never know if you don't ask first.
ESC! Magazine's guidelines can be found in a number of places but our main link is http://www.escmagazine.com/guidelines.asp From there you can download copies of our guidelines and release forms in PDF format or just read them online. You'll also find a release schedule for the next few issues, submission deadlines and the status of acceptance for each upcoming issue.
I suspect most of you reading this don't do any of the things I've mentioned above and that's either because you're a more experienced writer and contributor or because you take the time to make sure you've crossed all your t's before clicking send. The items in my list are things that are most important to me. You may have some of your own pointers or stories to share and I encourage you to leave a comment below.
If you find you've committed any of the "submission sins" I've listed above, don't worry, I won't tell. You may not hear from me ... but I won't tell. ESC! Magazine was founded as a literary magazine for new and aspiring writers -- those who are just starting out and need a little help getting their first publishing credit. If by writing this I can help just one short story get a better chance when crossing some editor's desk because the author took the time and followed the submission guidelines, then I will have done my job.
Read the Submission Guidelines!
Below are some of the most common errors in submission I see -- and I'm small press. I can't imagine what the "big guys" have come across their desk every day. While I do end up reading most improperly sent submissions, it's become easier for me to weed through the stacks and make the difficult decision to reject someone's work when the guidelines are not followed.
Read on to learn how to avoid getting your work rejected as well....
Send your work to the correct address
No matter where you're submitting, if you don't take the time to read the guidelines for submission, you will often be on the receiving end of ... silence. Failure to send your work to the proper e-mail address will not get your work into the hands of the person you most want to see it. Often, improperly addressed work will go straight to the trash (spambox) or, at the very least, remain unread for months until someone eventually gets around to reading the mail in the postmaster or webmaster accounts.
Remember that postmaster and webmaster accounts are "catch all" accounts and sometimes the best way to deal with all the junk that accumulates in them is to Select All and Delete. Be forewarned!
The result? Reject.
Include your basic contact information
When you do send your work to the correct address, please be sure to include your name and contact information as well as a valid subject line if submitting via e-mail. I'm stunned when I get a submission and the person doesn't have the foresight to include their name or address. All I'm left with is an e-mail address and the prospect of addressing my reply to "Dear ... ummm ... Dude"
I realize that not every small press has release forms, but ESC! Magazine does and if you don't include your basic contact information, then I can't fill out the form if I want to accept your work.
The result? Reject.
Submit work appropriate to the publication
Don't send me porn. Don't send me children's poetry or short stories. Don't send me fan fiction.
It seems a lot of people are content to submit blindly to a publication without having any idea what the magazine is all about.
In the case of ESC!, all of our recent issues are available for download from the web site in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. Before submitting, read them.
In other words, by reading the guidelines and the magazine, not only can you enjoy the works of those who came before you, but you can target your submissions appropriately. Submitting within the genres the magazine is looking for is critical if you hope to have your work accepted.
The result? Reject.
Submit in the formats requested
If a publication asks for submissions in Microsoft Word or OpenOffice.org formats, then don't submit in WordPerfect or Microsoft Works ... or Timmy's Super WordProcessor.
I accept a much broader range of formats than most, but then I've got years of IT experience which have given me the technical know-how to convert from foreign formats to one I can use. You can bet, however, that most small publications don't have this capability.
Oh, and while on this topic, please be sure to submit "clean" files. If you use Windows and submit to publications in Microsoft Word format, you better be running a high quality virus scanner (see this or this) and keep it up to date because I don't want to deal with any infections your computer might have.
The result? Reject.
Your work should be typed
Don't hand write your submissions.
'Nuf said?
The result? Reject.
Proofread your submission
I won't hold someone accountable for an errant comma or misused colon, or even the occasional (occasional - a word I spell incorrectly every time by the way) spelling error, but I do wish folks would take just a few moments and proofread their story for spelling errors, misplaced or misused apostrophes and capitalization errors. I get submissions chock-full of them and I don't think it's anything but simple laziness. I can't name a modern word processor that doesn't underline or otherwise mark spelling errors in real time these days. (Okay, now someone is going to call me on something I spelled wrong in this entry and rub my face in it. That's okay, I can take it....)
If you want me to accept your work, remember that for every misspelled word you have in your story, someone needs to fix it -- and that someone is me (see one-man show).
The result? Reject.
Just something to think about...
It won't result in outright rejection, but it sure would be nice if you could form complete sentences when composing your e-mailed submission's "cover letter." Maybe even follow the basic rules for writing a simple personal correspondence letter? Having a computer with the means to communicate in an instant doesn't mean the rules go out the window! I mean, after all, if you can't compose a simple letter, then what can I expect when I read your short story?
If you have questions ... ask!
If you do read the guidelines and still have questions, don't be afraid to ask. Guessing what the publication might be looking for or what a policy might mean is worse than taking some time to send an exploratory e-mail.
I am open to all discussions about ESC! Magazine's guidelines and have in the past made changes to the way I operate thanks to the input of contributors. Sometimes suggestions will work and sometimes they won't, but you'll never know if you don't ask first.
ESC! Magazine's guidelines can be found in a number of places but our main link is http://www.escmagazine.com/guidelines.asp From there you can download copies of our guidelines and release forms in PDF format or just read them online. You'll also find a release schedule for the next few issues, submission deadlines and the status of acceptance for each upcoming issue.
I suspect most of you reading this don't do any of the things I've mentioned above and that's either because you're a more experienced writer and contributor or because you take the time to make sure you've crossed all your t's before clicking send. The items in my list are things that are most important to me. You may have some of your own pointers or stories to share and I encourage you to leave a comment below.
If you find you've committed any of the "submission sins" I've listed above, don't worry, I won't tell. You may not hear from me ... but I won't tell. ESC! Magazine was founded as a literary magazine for new and aspiring writers -- those who are just starting out and need a little help getting their first publishing credit. If by writing this I can help just one short story get a better chance when crossing some editor's desk because the author took the time and followed the submission guidelines, then I will have done my job.
1 Comments:
I know you are not the only publisher with these same gripes. A year or so ago I was thinking of submitting an article to Home Education Magazine. Along with their guidelines they had a list of similar requests for correct submission. The biggie I remember was the content issue. They are a homeschool magazine. They want articles on homeschooling and family life. They politely, but firmly asked that other articles not be submitted and please read a copy of their magazine before sending anything. You wouldn't think people would have to be told that.
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Janet, at 9:10 PM
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