Use Submittable.com

Submittable.com is the premier, most-used submissions website for most professional magazines, contests, and awards for prose/poetry submissions, whether for print or online outlets.

Submittable keeps track of all your submissions online. It is not a site where you will find writing contests or requests. Use Yahoo Groups CRWOPPS and Poets & Writers et al for that. If there's a cost to submit, you do it on Submittable with a credit card.

First, it's FREE to register.

Second, it shows a professional organization has a good handle on all submissions if it's using Sumittable. Remember, it's only an online vehicle to direct your pieces to the proper organization/requester. Part of your fee goes to Submittable, but that's transparent.

Third, it's electronic and very easy to use. It keeps track of all of your submissions.

Fourth, in 90% of cases you'll upload a PDF, so ensure there are no typing errors: no typos, misspellings, incorrect punctuation or missing capitals etc.

Fifth, use a standard font, usually 12 point . Use Times New Roman or thick font, but never use a fancy font like Gothic unless for a special effect, and in short doses. Don't use a thin font like Garamond for even though it saves ink, it's compressed. You want your words to stand out on the page. Use BOLD sparingly, but do for Titles. In EVERY CASE use the font they tell you to use.

Sixth, only submit what the contest or magazine guidelines tell you to and how. If they want a PDF, submit a PDF, or Word doc etc. That goes for font, length, number or words, everything.

Seventh, it's secure. Add your credit card info when you submit. As a rule of thumb I won't submit if the fee is over $15. Even then it must accept three poems or more, for example, in return for my payment. Always print your receipt.

Eighth, submit to premier publications like Glimmertrain often. Never give up. If you happen to succeed first time out, congratulations.

Follow the requester's submission Guidelines

Every contest, award or request will have Submission Guidelines. Follow them to the "T" or you will be rejected and passed over. You'll have a lot of competition, don't screw up.

Some organizations want it single-spaced, others double-spaced. Most tell you the type and font size to use. All say clearly either how many pieces to submit, and poetry is usually in single-column. All say how many words if applicable as in chapbooks and short stories, and especially manuscripts. 

Submit before the deadline. Many good sites will send you an acknowledgement, but remember, the fact you used Submittable is concrete proof you submitted, so most won't. Most sites will not tell you your piece(s) was rejected or not used, and will only announce the winners, or in most cases, simply publish the winners without telling you. So keep track of their stated publication dates. This is important, because if you weren't accepted this means you can submit the same piece(s) elsewhere.

Most contests or requests allow for "Simultaneous submissions," which means you can submit the same piece to multiple outlets at the same time. (I stay away from ones that are exclusive) However, if a piece is accepted by one, you must immediately inform the other sites that you are withdrawing the pieces you submitted to them. A few orgs will request that you submit a DOC like MS-Word docx, so be sure to follow their requirements.

Submittable allows a space on their Submission Page for your Short Bio. Never print your bio info, your name, your contact information etc within the documents you upload, unless they say to do so. Submittable will forward the contact info you registered with to the contest organisers for you. 

Remember that the judges will never see your name, only the organizers will know.

If you are chosen, some orgs may ask you to edit or fix your document. Do so quickly without complaint or argument. It's not a negotiation. If a winning fee or monetary prize is involved, it's usually paid to you within 30-days of publication. 

Now go Submit!


Opinion Copyright 2016 Rodney Richards

Performing vs Sharing Your Written Work

Here's some great advice on reading your written work in public, to an audience.

At the end of Peter's article, find my own advice to readers sharing their work in a critique group or writer's workshop.

it's very different, in deed and word.

You've spent days, weeks, months, years...writing and revising your work, but when it comes time for you to read it to an audience, you flub it. What to do?

At the Winter Getaway, Peter shared his tips on how to give a reading that will connect with your listeners so they leave wishing they could hear more, not less. Today, we'd like to share them with you as a thank you for being such loyal readers.

Enjoy!

 

10 Tips for Reading Your Writing Like a Pro

1. It's not about you, it's about your audience. Beware of what Nietzsche referred to as "A dog called ego."
    
2. Less is more. Choose your pieces carefully.
    
3. There's a difference between reciting your work and performing it. You're not an actor, you're a writer. Gesture if you must, but not too much.
    
4. Break up your reading, if possible, with an anecdote or something about the piece. Humor is good. Self-depreciating is good. Putting yourself or your writing down is not good.
    
5. Make eye contact with your audience without losing your place. Give them the finger...no, no, place it on your text as you scroll down the page.
    
6. Make your voice a tool using breath, rhythm, pacing and contrast. Don't allow your voice to settle into monotone.
    
7. What? The PA system isn't working? Be prepared to read with or without a microphone.
    
8. Oh no, they don't have a podium or a music rack or a table or anything? Be prepared for mechanical failures and other emergencies.
    
9. Leave graciously. Don't run from the podium. Thank the audience for listening and accept their applause.
    
10. Practice. Practice. Practice.

That's it for now. Write on!

Peter, Amanda and Taylor

Murphy Writing of Stockton University
Challenging & Supportive Workshops
peter@murphywriting.com
www.stockton.edu/murphywriting

Now, here's some advice in your private setting looking for feedback on your piece:

We writers are all readers in many ways. The two most prominent are reading other's books and articles, essays and poems, and reading our own writing aloud to a group or audience.

     Here's some great tips on how to "perform" a reading for a public audience that you should adhere to be successful, since if you want to promote your authorship, you must read to public audiences to get the word out and sell yourself as much as your book.

     But, word of caution here.

Performing for an audience is not, repeat not, the same as reading your piece to a private critique group of fellow writers.

     As you can see from Tip #1, IT's NOT ABOUT YOU

Here's my advice when reading to a critique group.

1. Do not "perform" your piece. This distracts us entirely from comprehending the words and meanings behind the words that you are reading. 

In other words, the true story gets lost on us, because we are listening with a critical ear.

2. Do not "perform" your piece. We are not a public audience you need to impress with your great speaking skills (which you must develop). 

We are your friends trying to help. Don't treat us as strangers you're trying to impress.

3. Do not "perform" your piece. Oh, I'm sure you can do a great job, but do it instead in front of a mirror or family and friends, not us.

4. YOU DO need to read your piece to us with intonations, and pauses, and Aha's and some emotionality where emotionality is called for. 

But keep it low level. Again, your big voice distracts us from doing our job: critiquing your story and words and everything in it. Use your "little" voice for us, but don't be quiet. Balance is necessary.

Just my personal opinion here. .As always, do what the hell you want to.

What's your opinion on this?

Best

Rod

 

Review: Literary Life: A Second Memoir

Literary Life: A Second Memoir by Larry McMurtry
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

My son Jesse said it best, when he reviewed Alex Robinson's book Our Expanding Universe. I read Literary Life and felt exactly the same way about this McMurtry memoir:
"I generally like Robinson [McMurty] but didn't see the point of this book. The characters were incredibly realistic ... to the point of being completely boring. I didn't learn anything new by reading this, it was just like hanging out with another person's less-interesting friends."
And actually, I did not even find the real-life "characters" to be anything but dull. Mere listings of his friends credits did not impress. And except for the turn of a good phrase here and there, I learned little about writing better. That said, it does not detract from his own other literary accomplishments.

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Review: The Writer's Digest Sourcebook for Building Believable Characters

The Writer's Digest Sourcebook for Building Believable Characters by Marc Mucutcheon
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Another compendium of simple lists. At least topical, and as stated in the intro, slightly better than a Thesaurus looking up synonyms. Again, not really a "book,' but lists of traits of characters, so it does fulfill its title, but as in all things writing, the writer must work at it. This book is best used for building fictional characters, but helpful in nonfiction also.
I find similes and metaphors better for describing characters than a list of traits, like "he looked exactly like Angel from the Rockford files," for example.
The introductory discussion by authors was fun, and the "Do nots" helpful.

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