Early in my career, I thought a query and a proposal were two names for the same document. Boy, was I confused? A query letter is a short communication to get an agent or publisher’s attention. If your query letter succeeds, they’ll ask for a book proposal. A proposal is a lengthy, detailed document that […]
Here are the three biggest mistakes people make when submitting content for publication. Avoid these common submission errors : 1. Not Following Submission Guidelines The first submission error is not following directions. Adhering to submission guidelines helps increase the chance of them publishing your work. Each deviation lessens the likelihood of success. Common mistakes include […]
Here are the key article submission tips on submitting an article to a publication. Know the Publication or Website Read their past content. As you do, envision if your idea is a good fit. If not, don’t force it. Seek a different topic or a different outlet. Look for Submission Guidelines Find their submission guidelines […]
There are three key periodical submission tips to follow when sending content to online outlets and print media publishers. I list them from least important to most important, but if you don’t get past the first one, you’ll never get to the second. And you must pass the second step to even have your writing […]
To submit your post to blogs, the first thing to do is see if your target blog runs guest posts. Many do not. They may state this on their site, or you may need to search their archives to find out. Next, as with print, familiarize yourself with the blog. Look at the content they […]
To submit content to print publications, the first thing is to familiarize yourself with the target publication. Look at the type of content they print, how long each item runs, the style they use, and their tone. To make your periodical submission a success, your goal is to match those characteristics as closely as you […]
The Other Side of Article Submissions from an Editor’s Perspective For the past thirty-five years, I’ve been submitting articles to periodicals. For the past sixteen, I’ve also been on the receiving end as a trade magazine publisher and editor. This gives me a 360-degree understanding of what happens to an article from conception to publication—and […]
Be upfront with editors if you are sending the same piece to multiple publications When submitting an article to a magazine it’s a good practice to inform them if it’s a simultaneous submission, that is, if you’re sending it to others for consideration at the same time. Making simultaneous submissions is like dating multiple people […]
I recently discussed “Why Writers Should Follow the Rules of Writing.” Now I’ll focus on submission guidelines. The reason we should follow submission guidelines is simple: It increases our chance of publication. Here are some tips for successful submissions: You’ve likely heard of writers who have ignored these tips and found success because of it. […]
Last week, I encouraged the use of only one space to end a sentence, not two. The old convention of two spaces harkens back to the days of typewriters. Computers ushered in a new standard of only one space. This is what we must follow. There are other formatting habits that came from typewriters, which […]