Nov 29 2008
Getting Published: A Game of Numbers?
I haven’t been diligent enough with submitting my writing lately. If a piece is rejected, I tend to think it isn’t good enough and I start writing something else. This is entirely the wrong attitude.
So, yesterday I spent a couple of hours searching the internet for print magazines and journals (as opposed to online publications), that publish short works of fiction.
I managed to compile a list of those in my own country, which will require only small postage. I also made note of overseas magazines that accept submissions via email. Obviously, email is easier on the wallet.
In any case, I’ve created a hierarchy list of magazines. I will start by submitting to the ones I’d most like to publish my writing, and work my way down until I run out of print options. If I’m not successful, I’ll continue the process using online magazines.
I believe having a system in place will force me to submit pieces to all my options. It will be time consuming, but worth it.
What do you think? Is getting published just a game of numbers?
I think it is partly a game of numbers and persistence, partly about knowing your market, and partly just luck. I have a friend who simultaneously submits to lots of places, even when they say “no simultaneous submissions” and it works for her. Basically, once the piece has been finished, you have to keep firing it out there until someone accepts it. Good luck to you and thank you for your blog!
Pgrundy:
Thanks for your comment. Good to hear the simultaneous submission process works for your friend. For a long time I tried to take the high road and respect the single submission policy many mags seem to have, but it’s absolutely ridiculous considering half of them never reply at all! Besides, the chance of being accepted by two publications on the same day is pretty impossible. If you were accepted one place, you’d just have to send an email to the others saying your work is no longer available. Thanks for your best wishes
I’m a writer for a newspaper so I don’t know much about freelancing. I worked as a freelancer for a magazine for a little while. Have you ever heard of Writer’s Market? It gives freelancers a list of publications. I say try try again. I’m sure you are doing great.
Loislane:
It must be amazing writing at a newspaper. I just checked out Writer’s Market, so thanks for that. My biggest problem is there aren’t a lot of literary magazines in Australia, so the market here is quite small. Overseas postage is a killer too, so unless they have electronic submissions, it’s out of the question. But I will keep persevering! Thanks.