Just Do It ... or, Trust the Editors!

When I started this blog, I wanted it to be a combination of a writing blog for myself, as well as something new writers could read to see how one breaks into the craft. I've learned quite a bit since beginning the process, and today's entry I think is about one of the most important lessons I want to pass on to others.

When should you submit?

And how do you know where to send your work?

Before I begin, I want to pimp a blog series that I honestly feel covers these topics far better than I ever can.

Writer Douglas Smith is currently working on a set of articles detailing how to sell short fiction, from beginning to end. If you have not read these, do. It doesn't matter if you write science fiction or fantasy or magical realism or post-modernist prose. His advice applies to everyone.

One of the points Mr. Smith touches on, and something I learned from first-hand experience this month, is the importance of sending out your work to top publishers. His argument in a nutshell is that if you choose to send your work to "second rate" publications first, you were never sell a story at a professional pay rate, because the top editors will never see your work!

But, but ... you might ask. What if my story isn't good enough? What if I'm not quite sure if they will like it? What if I've read issues of the magazine, and I feel the writing there is a hundred times better than my own?

Here is Mr. Smith's answer, which I will happily back up with a real example: SEND IT ANYWAY.

By not sending your work to a publication, you are assuming the editor won't like it. (This is not to say you should send science fiction to a romance poetry magazine. Use common sense.) You are thinking you know more than the editor.

Do not assume this, unless you know the editor personally and/or they have told you that they absolutely refuse to read stories about Zombie Unicorns. (Neil Clarke of Clarkesworld does this quite well, if you follow his Twitter feed -- thus the shout-out for the poor, unloved Zombie Unicorns.)

Say, then, that you decide to send out a story. How do you determine where it goes first?

Again, as Mr. Smith notes, make a list. Figure out what publications meet your needs, and start at the top. Send out the story to the first one, then the second, then the third, etc. Make a list and stick to it. Add new publications or remove publications as required. If you need, use a professional service like Duotrope to track your submissions and markets.

In a worst case scenario, you will be rejected. In a slightly better scenario, you will be rejected but receive feedback, however small, about your work. Coming from a major editor, this advice can be groundbreaking for your craft and help you sell the story later. In the best case scenario, the editor will offer to buy your story.

Let's break that down. If your writing isn't quite up to par for those publications, you may receive feedback that allows you to become a better writer. Or, you might find your writing works just fine!

Here is my real world example about why you should always submit and never assume whether a piece will be rejected.

I mentioned in my last blog post that I had sold first publication rights to On Spec Magazine for my story, "Chance Encounters." I won't blow anything about the story, except to say that when I finished it, I thought it was weird. Really, really weird. I wrote it in response to a dare from my husband, it took off, and we both loved it.

But I figured, no one else would like it. It was strange and quirky and I couldn't imagine any of the major publications buying it. It *is* a bit Canadian in setting, which made me hesitate even more to send it to an American publisher. I thought, I'll just hold onto it for a theme anthology or something similar in the future.

When On Spec opened their last submissions period, I had nothing ready. I was working on editing my book and hadn't had time to write new short fiction. Another piece I sent to them had been sent back with a request for revisions, so I knew they at least liked some of what I did. But I hadn't had time to revise the first story, meaning it wasn't going anywhere soon.

And I thought, "What the heck. Maybe they'll like 'Chance Encounters.' I'll send it." Of course, in my mind I imagined them tossing it in the reject pile, because I love On Spec, I think the writing they publish is superb, and I decided that "Chance Encounters" never had a chance in comparison to the other work they buy. [Forgive the pun?]

So, off went "Chance Encounters," and I forgot about it, thinking it absolutely without hope. And sure enough, four months later, On Spec made an offer to feature it in a future issue.

The moral of the story? Never assume what the editor will like.

Trust in your craft, constantly strive to be a better writer, and get your work out there. The more people who read it, the bigger chance you will have of being published.

Write, edit, submit, and trust. Trust the editors know what they are doing, because they've likely been doing it far longer than you.

And also, weird isn't necessarily bad. Sometimes it's just right. Let the editor be the judge.

~ Janet